Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal has revealed that he has experienced racism “a thousand times” during his football career, saying racist comments, gestures and looks have become a recurring part of his experience.
The 19-year-old made the disclosure during an interview with Spanish broadcaster Movistar, reflecting on the treatment he has received since breaking into Barcelona’s first team as a teenager.
Key Highlights
Lamine Yamal says he has experienced racism “a thousand times” during his career.
The Barcelona winger said some people make racist comments or gestures without recognising their behaviour as offensive.
Yamal was subjected to racist abuse during El Clasico against Real Madrid in October 2024.
He said being identified by his race does not offend him when there is no intention to insult him.
The Spain international said he tries not to allow abuse from spectators to affect his performance.
His comments have renewed attention on racism affecting Black footballers in Spain and across football.
“People are indirectly racist toward you, but maybe don’t realise it,” Yamal said.
“There are a lot of comments or looks that are racist and they don’t even notice.”
The Barcelona star has previously been targeted by racist abuse during El Clasico. In October 2024, he was subjected to abusive chants during Barcelona’s match against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Yamal has also been identified in reports on online racist abuse targeting footballers in Spain. A report by Spain’s Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia identified Yamal and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. among the footballers most frequently targeted by online racist abuse in Spain during the final quarter of 2025.
Despite his experiences, Yamal said he does not automatically take offence when people refer to his race. He stressed that the context and intention behind such comments are important.
“If someone calls me Black, it’s not going to bother me at all,” he said.
“Another thing is whether it’s good or bad, whether they’re saying it to offend me.”
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Yamal also said he tries to remain focused on football rather than allowing abuse from spectators to affect his performance.
“But if I’m playing a match and they paid for a ticket to see me, I’m not going to get angry just because they disrespected me,” he added.
Yamal has established himself as one of Barcelona’s leading young players after making his first-team debut at the age of 15. He has since won major honours with the club and represented Spain at the highest level.
His latest comments have drawn renewed attention to the experiences of young Black footballers and the continuing problem of racist abuse in football, both inside stadiums and online.
