Real Madrid Star Diagnosed With Same 'Incurable' Injury as Lamine Yamal

Real Madrid have confirmed that one of their first-team players has been diagnosed with pubalgia, a condition that has also affected Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.

Pubalgia, a condition characterised by chronic pain in the pubic or groin area, is common in sports that require sudden changes in direction or repetitive kicks, such as football.

As explained by Spanish publication SPORT, pubalgia is a very complex condition. It can have several causes and isn't like a muscle injury that can be considered 'cured' once it heals.

Lluis Puig, a physiotherapist who worked at Barcelona between 2000 and 2008, has recently given an insight into the condition as he spoke about Lamine Yamal's ongoing troubles with pubalgia.

"First of all we must say that pubalgia is not a muscle injury, but rather an alteration in the pubic area, where different muscles converge," he said.

"We have to work on different levels, and we can't say that it's an injury that will be gone in a month. No, we'll have to live with it, and we'll have to do preventative and compensatory work to give him the assurances to be able to play at the highest level."

Yamal isn't the only high-profile footballer to suffer from the painful condition. On Monday morning, Real Madrid confirmed that summer signing Franco Mastantuono has been diagnosed with pubalgia.

"Following tests carried out today on Franco Mastantuono by Real Madrid's medical department, the player has been diagnosed with pubalgia," a statement on the club's website read. "His recovery will be monitored."

Mastantuono, who joined Los Blancos from River Plate in the summer for £38.5 million, was not involved in the club's training session on Monday and is expected to miss this week's Champions League clash against Liverpool.

Franco #Mastantuono and Lamine #Yamal both turned 18 in the past few months and have played more than 200 games between them over the past three years, tha majority of them at incredible intensity. #Pubalgia is the inevitable result and a word we'll hear a lot more going forward. https://t.co/xATKZmhcUK

— Alex Hoad (@AlexHoadSport) November 3, 2025

Sports traumatologist Dr Pedro Luis Ripoll recently explained how the injury will impact on-field performances, with the issue severely restricting movement and shooting ability,

"It is an injury that is frankly difficult to treat," he told El Larguero while speaking about Lamine Yamal's injury. "It's characterised by pain that reduces the player's ability to move and shoot by almost 50%, which is exactly what we saw in El Clasico."

He added: "It’s a disabling pain that allows the player to participate in matches but keeps him from his best level and significantly diminishes his performance.”

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has previously spoken about his experiences with the condition.

“Pubalgia is complicated," he said, as per The Mirror. "I suffer from it for a while now, I do little training and I can not play all the games. It is not a problem that can be solved overnight. I feel better now, but I still have not recovered and I still need treatment.”