Adult Life Begins on Yachts
With only a few days left until his 18th birthday—Barcelona star Lamine Yamal was born on 13 July 2007—the club’s absence from this year’s FIFA Club World Cup meant the coaching staff granted the players extra time off, and the wonderkid is making full use of the break: paparazzi snapped him aboard a rented yacht off the coast of Ibiza in the company of eight girls. In his own way he is following the path of his idol Neymar, who was also famous for blending football with a vibrant social life.
The Jersey That Cuts Deep for the culés
The most talked-about holiday shot was posted by retro shop Classic Football Shirts: in the picture Yamal poses in Manchester United’s white away kit released in honour of the legendary 1991 Cup Winners’ Cup final. The photo raced through social networks at lightning speed and sparked a wave of emotion, because it shows the colours of the rival that dealt Barça perhaps its most painful European wound of the early 1990s.
The 1991 Final: A Lesson Never Forgotten
On 15 May 1991 in Rotterdam, MU under Sir Alex Ferguson defeated the Catalans 2–1. Both goals for the English side were scored by Mark Hughes, while Barcelona’s lone effort came from a Ronald Koeman free-kick. The victory was the Mancunians’ first European trophy after a 23-year drought and symbolically opened the era of Ferguson’s future triumphs, whereas Barça never again managed to lift the Cup Winners’ Cup before the competition was discontinued.
Social Media Explodes: From Jokes to Conspiracy Theories
“Someone tell the kid who they beat in that shirt!” raged one supporter. Another typed the customary “Here we go” about Yamal’s impending move to the Premier League. A third camp is convinced the forward simply appreciates rare retro jerseys. As in any viral story, memes only stoke the fire: a Photoshop of Yamal in the kits of all 20 Premier League clubs amassed thousands of likes in under an hour.
What’s Next for the Blaugranas and for Lamine
Despite the torrent of comments, Barça remain calm: Yamal’s contract runs until 2030 and his release clause is astronomical even for English giants. Inside the club they joke that the scariest thing about this saga is not the United jersey but the phone ban at the upcoming private party—no new photos means no new uproar. One thing is clear: the flashy holiday episode has boosted the young talent’s charisma and has people talking about him louder than any transfer rumour this summer.
