Spain’s young football star Lamine Yamal is no stranger to the limelight. In the weeks leading up to the World Cup, he found himself thrust into the middle of a social media debate regarding his fitness and availability for the tournament as well as his unapologetic pro-Palestine activism.
On the eve of Spain’s second World Cup match against Saudi Arabia at Atlanta Stadium in the US state of Georgia, he was subjected to playful banter from Saudi fans.
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“Where is Yamaaaaal? Where is Yamal?” they chanted through the streets of Atlanta.
The video clip was seen as a throwback to a viral moment from Saudi Arabia’s shock World Cup 2022 win over eventual champions Argentina when one Saudi fan interrupted an international channel’s broadcast by saying: “Where’s [Lionel] Messi?”
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The Saudi chant might have also been a jibe at Spain’s lacklustre display in their opening match of the World Cup against debutants Cape Verde, who held the European champions to a goalless draw.
Yamal, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury, came on as a 70th-minute substitute but failed to break the deadlock as Cape Verde’s heroic goalkeeper Vozinha kept a clean sheet. On the same day, Saudi Arabia drew 1-1 against Uruguay, much to the delight of the Arab team’s fans.
When the Saudi fans took over parts of Atlanta, where Yamal’s face occupies a large wall mural and skyscraper advertisement, they wondered if the 18-year-old would fail to turn up against their team on Sunday.
It didn’t take Yamal long to answer that question. Ten minutes into his first full 90 minutes of the tournament, the Spanish forward slotted in his first goal of the World Cup to join Brazilian great Pele as the only player aged 18 or younger to open the scoring in a World Cup match.
Yamal stayed on the pitch until the 64th minute and continued to bamboozle the Saudi defence as the pretournament favourites put four goals past their hapless opponents.
By the time he was substituted out, number 19 had completed 88 percent of his passes and made six attempts on goal.
As if he hadn’t already done the talking on the field, the teenager used his social media clout to post a response to his 44 million-plus followers and the Saudi fans asking where he was.
“I’m here,” he wrote in an understated Instagram post that included his own photos from the match.
Weight of activism and expectations
Yamal’s name first emerged during the European Championship in 2024 when La Roja won their record-breaking fourth continental crown. The sprightly 16-year-old was one of the shining stars in the tournament.
Over the past two years, his performances for the national side and his club FC Barcelona have seen him become a household name.
The popularity, though, has been matched by intense scrutiny on one of the brightest footballers of his generation, which Yamal has embraced with open arms.
The Muslim son of immigrant parents – a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother – Yamal has not shied away from using his star-studded status to comment on hot-button controversies.
Whether it’s publicly slamming Islamophobic chants at Spanish football stadiums or supporting the Palestinian cause, the young icon has shown he has a strong social consciousness.
Upon scoring his maiden World Cup goal, Yamal dropped to the ground and performed the sujoud, the Muslim act of prostration, in a public display of his Muslim faith.
He also pulled out his now famous “304” celebration, which is a nod to his childhood working-class neighbourhood in the Catalan region of Spain.
The postal code for his hometown, Mataro, is 08304, and Yamal crosses both hands to form a zero in the middle, a three on his left hand and a four on his right hand.
The activism has come at a cost.
While thousands of social media users lauded Yamal for speaking up, critics have used the opportunity to accuse him of “inciting hatred“.
The curly-haired teenager has not let this get in the way of his beliefs. In fact, it has spurred him to project his religion with pride and speak up for the oppressed.
And the expectations for him to carry Spain to glory in the World Cup have caused a little worry with the 27-time capped player saying no one can expect more from him than himself.
“I see myself as much better than people see me,” he told the Spanish newspaper El Pais before his team’s crucial match against Saudi Arabia.
“I know the road ahead is very long and that I have many things to improve,” he said.
“I know people see me as if this is my level and that’s it. But I can use all that confidence I have for many things. I insist: I have a long way to go, a lot to improve and a lot, a lot, a lot of football.”
