Lamine Yamal says he has experienced racism “a thousand times”

The 19-year-old Spain international made the remarks in an interview with former Argentina international Jorge Valdano on Spanish broadcaster Movistar. Asked whether he had personally experienced racism, Yamal responded: “A thousand times.”

“People are indirectly racist towards you, but perhaps they don't realize it,” Yamal said. “There are many comments or looks that are racist, and they don't even notice it themselves.”

Yamal also drew a distinction between references to his race and comments intended to insult him.

“If someone calls me Black, it doesn't bother me at all; in the end, I am Black, I don't have another color,” he said. “The issue is whether it is good or bad, or whether they say it to insult me.”

He added that he would not necessarily react angrily to disrespect from spectators during a football match.

“If I'm playing a match and they have paid for a ticket to watch me, I'm not going to get angry just because they have shown me disrespect,” Yamal said.

The Barcelona forward has previously been subjected to racist abuse in football. In October 2024, footage circulated showing Yamal, Raphinha and Ansu Fati being targeted by racist abuse during Barcelona's match against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Spain's Observatory for Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE) also reported in March that Yamal and Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior were among the most frequent targets of online racist attacks in Spain during the final quarter of 2025.

Yamal's comments highlight the distinction between overt racist abuse and less explicit forms of discriminatory behavior, which he said can sometimes go unnoticed by those responsible.