Lamine Yamal’s flag-waving continues to draw widespread attention — and not only in Israel. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted a message of support for the Barcelona star on X on Thursday evening.
“Those who see waving a national flag as ‘incitement to hatred’ have either lost their minds or been blinded by their shame,” Sánchez wrote. “Lamine simply expressed the solidarity with Palestine felt by millions of Spaniards. Another reason to be proud of him.”
As previously reported, Barcelona’s Spanish league title celebrations took a political turn that sparked major controversy, all because of Yamal. During Monday’s championship parade through the city streets, the 18-year-old star was filmed waving a Palestinian flag from atop the team’s open-top bus, a moment that quickly went viral and prompted heated reactions around the world.
Yamal, widely regarded as one of world soccer’s brightest young talents, was seen waving the flag toward thousands of fans who had gathered to celebrate Barcelona’s title-clinching campaign, secured after a 2-0 victory over Real Madrid. Videos from the event spread rapidly across social media, with many fans praising the player for taking a stand, while others condemned the act as disgraceful.