There has been a lot of controversy around Lamine Yamal’s conduct on Saturday night when Portugal raised the Nations League trophy. The 17-year-old is one of the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or, and winning a fourth trophy at the Allianz Arena this weekend would have undoubtedly strengthened his case for being named the greatest player in the world.
But Nuno Mendes, who was elated following his Champions League victory with Paris Saint-Germain, had other ideas. Yamal, who found it difficult to contribute consistently during the game, was successfully neutralized by the Portuguese defense. Portugal eventually won after Alvaro Morata missed his effort, even though Spain rallied again to tie the score at 2-2 and force a penalty shootout.
One of the few nights that Yamal didn’t shine was this one. His actions during Portugal’s trophy celebration have since garnered criticism, possibly due to his frustration with both his performance and Spain’s loss. He quickly headed for the tunnel while his teammates cheered the winners.
Yamal Caught Heading Down Tunnel During Portugal’s Trophy Lift
The rest of the Spanish squad stood and clapped their opponents
Yamal has a tendency to draw undue attention during trophy celebrations after making headlines for walking straight down the tunnel during Barcelona’s La Liga-winning victory over Espanyol last month, despite Hansi Flick’s orders to avoid stirring up a heated rival crowd.
This time, the young player was seen slowly leaving the field and entering the dressing room as the rest of the Spain team remained to cheer and watch as Portugal won their second Nations League title. View the incident below:
Although Yamal still has a lot to learn at such a young age, online observers were ready to condemn him for his behavior. One scathing X user commented, “He should be fined,” while another added, “Sore loser,” while a third said:
“I’m beginning to dislike him, he’s too arrogant and proud.”
According to a fourth user, “This is really immature.” Another came to the same conclusion: “He needs to realize that this is only a sport because he is still young.” He needs to practice clapping for other people because eventually they will do the same for him.
xz
