Lamine Yamal targeted in the United States after El Clásico

One of the best footballers in the world, without a doubt, is Lamine Yamal. The young FC Barcelona star has already showcased his quality and collected major trophies with both his club and the Spanish national team.

However, his most recent appearance in El Clásico against Real Madrid fell short of expectations—and his comments before the match sparked plenty of controversy.

During an appearance on a Kings League program, Lamine said: “Porcinos (Ibai Llanos’ team) is like Real Madrid, right? They steal, they complain, they do things.” His remarks quickly made headlines in Spain, and after a lackluster showing in this weekend’s El Clásico—where he failed to make an impact and reportedly received warnings from Real Madrid players—his performance has also drawn criticism abroad, particularly in the United States.

ESPN journalist and broadcaster Fernando Palomo wrote on social media: “Someone please bring Lamine back to reality. He’s already spent three months of the season distracted off the pitch. That ‘ego kills success’ thing had a destiny.” It’s worth noting that Barcelona’s number 10 has scored three goals and provided five assists in eight games this season while managing a groin injury, so Palomo’s criticism may be somewhat harsh.

On CBS Sports, analyst Ian Joy added: “Lamine Yamal is a world-class footballer, a generational talent. But in big games, if you’re going to talk before a match, you’d better back it up with a top performance—and ideally, a win. This season, there have been more headlines about Lamine off the pitch than on it. What I want to see from a generational talent is focus on his football.”

In short, Lamine Yamal’s recent performances have not met the high expectations that come with his reputation and second-place finish in the Ballon d’Or. Between his lingering injury—one Barcelona claims was mishandled by the Spanish national team—and distractions linked to his involvement in the Kings League, the 18-year-old now faces a crucial crossroads in his young career.

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After his impressive showings in previous editions of El Clásico, where he has scored five goals against Real Madrid, Lamine struggled at the Bernabéu this time, weighed down by the attention his own words had drawn.

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