Why Lamine Yamal Pays Tribute to Two African Countries with Flags on His Boots for Spain

• Lamine Yamal pays tribute to two African nations on his football boots despite representing Spain internationally
• The 17-year-old also has the flags of these countries on his cleats when playing for his domestic club, Barcelona
• The special and thoughtful reason why Yamal boldly flaunts the flags of the African nations has since been explained

Despite wearing the colours of Spain when he steps onto the international pitch, Lamine Yamal also proudly carries pieces of Africa with him every time he steps out.

This is not metaphorical, as the teen superstar has been spotted with two African flags stitched onto his football boots during games for both Spain and Barcelona.

Why Yamal uses African flags on boots

At first glance, the flags might seem like a stylistic choice. But for Yamal, they mean much more, representing his deep connection to his roots; a tribute to where he comes from and the people who helped shape him.

The teenage sensation was born to parents of mixed African heritage. His mother, Sheila Ebana, hails from Equatorial Guinea, along Central Africa's west coast. His father, Mounir, is from Morocco in North Africa.

Although his parents went their separate ways when he was just three, both remained firmly by his side as he rose through the ranks, with many believing the 2025 Ballon d'Or could be his, per Fox Sports.

African countries tried to lure Lamine Yamal

With a background linked to the African continent, it's no surprise that both Morocco and Equatorial Guinea attempted to recruit the teenage sensation to their national teams.

However, his heart was already set on the country that nurtured his footballing journey, Spain. Morocco’s coach, Walid Regragui, shared his efforts to bring Yamal into the fold.

“Lamine Yamal is a once-in-a-generation talent - we tried to bring him to the Moroccan national team, but it wasn’t possible,” he told El Chiringuito, as cited by SportBIBLE.

Regragui said that the teen was honest with him, despite the tactician presenting him with Morocco's vision for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup.

“Two days later, he reached out to confirm that he feels Spanish, that he has been playing for Spain since youth level. So I wished him the best, especially because he was honest and sincere with me at all times.”

In Central Africa, Equatorial Guinea also made an effort, though with a more heartfelt acceptance of his decision.

“Even though Lamine is not playing for Equatorial Guinea, we hold him very close in our hearts and think he is going to do many things for Equatoguinean football,” said Venancio Tomas Ndong Micha, president of the nation's football federation, in a 2024 interview with BBC Sport.

Lamine Yamal: A star on the rise

Yamal is being hailed as a generational talent, despite still being in the early stages of his career.

According to Transfermarkt, the Barcelona star is currently the most valuable player on the planet.

For those from the continent, knowing he carries Africa in his heart is also somewhat poignant.

Yamal breaks silence after Nations League loss

In another update, YEN.com.gh reported that Lamine Yamal spoke after Spain's defeat to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League final.

The young star took to Instagram two days later to share a cryptic post that has since stirred a flurry of reactions on social media.

Source: YEN.com.gh