Kamal Ghorui
FC Barcelona star Lamine Yamal once again found himself at the centre of attention during the club’s La Liga title celebrations after waving a Palestinian flag during the team’s open-top bus parade through the streets of Barcelona. The 18-year-old winger, regarded as one of football’s brightest young talents, was seen holding the Palestinian flag while celebrating Barcelona’s league triumph alongside teammates on Monday. Yamal later shared pictures of the moment on his Instagram account as thousands of supporters packed the streets to celebrate the title-winning campaign. According to reports, nearly 750,000 fans turned up for the celebrations as Barcelona marked another domestic triumph. Yamal’s gesture quickly drew global attention amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the wider international reaction surrounding the conflict. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was asked about the incident during a press conference on Tuesday. While the German coach admitted he generally prefers to avoid such situations, he also made it clear that Yamal is mature enough to make his own choices. “This I don’t normally like,” Flick said. “I spoke with him. I said if he wants this, it is his decision. He is old enough. He’s 18 years old.” There has been growing backlash across the world against Israel over the humanitarian impact of the war in Gaza, with demonstrations and protests appearing across several sports and cultural events, including football, cycling and basketball. Spain has also been among the countries protesting Israel’s inclusion in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Yamal, whose father is Moroccan and who is openly Muslim, appeared to express support for Palestinians through the gesture during the celebrations. Despite the controversy, Flick insisted his focus remained on the connection between the club and its supporters following the title-winning season. “We are playing football and you can see what the people expect from us,” Flick added. “We are playing football to make the people happy. This is for me the first thing we have to do.” Yamal continues to rise rapidly in world football and is widely viewed as one of the leading candidates to become the sport’s next global superstar after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spain international is also expected to be one of the standout names at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
