After recovering from an injury, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal made a controversial return during Saturday’s match against Las Palmas in La Liga.
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, Yamal started the game on the bench but grabbed attention before playing a single minute, with Lionel Messi’s name inscribed on the bottom of his sneakers. The newspaper pointed out that observant fans spotted the word ‘Messi’ on Yamal’s shoes, which was meant as a tribute to the greatest player in history.
This wasn’t simply a sign of respect from the Spanish player; the boots were part of the ‘Messi +10’ campaign launched by a major sports brand. The campaign highlights 10 rising talents, male and female, selected by Messi to represent his signature boots. Lamine Yamal is one of the Barcelona players featured in this unique lineup, alongside Vicky Lopez from the women’s team. In a promotional video, Messi presented the players, with Yamal’s name saved for last, emphasizing his central role in the campaign.