FC Barcelona star Lamine Yamel has once again found himself in the spotlight after waving the Palestinian flag during the team’s open-top bus parade through the streets of Barcelona during the club’s La Liga title celebrations. The 18-year-old winger, regarded as one of football’s brightest young talents, was seen holding a Palestinian flag as he celebrated Barcelona’s league victory with teammates on Monday. Yamal later shared photos of the moment on his Instagram account as thousands of supporters lined the streets to celebrate the title-winning campaign. Reportedly, around 750,000 fans turned out to celebrate as Barcelona marked another home victory. Yamal’s gesture quickly attracted global attention amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the wider international response to the conflict. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was asked about the incident during a press conference on Tuesday. Although the German coach admitted that he usually prefers to avoid such situations, he also made it clear that Yamal is mature enough to make his own choices. “I don’t usually like that,” Flick said. “I talked to him. I said if that’s what he wants, that’s his decision. He’s old enough. He’s 18.” A worldwide backlash against Israel over the humanitarian impact of the war in Gaza has grown, with protests and demonstrations at several sporting and cultural events, including football, cycling and basketball. Spain is among the countries protesting Israel’s participation in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Yamal, whose father is Moroccan and who is an outspoken Muslim, appeared to show support for the Palestinians by making gestures during the celebration. Despite the controversy, Flick insisted his focus after the title-winning season remained on communication between the club and its supporters. “We’re playing football and you can see what people expect from us,” Flick added. “We are playing football to make people happy. That to me is the first thing we have to do.” Yamal is on the rise in world football and is widely seen as one of the leading candidates to become the game’s next global superstar. Lionel Messi And Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spain international is also expected to be one of the prominent names at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
