Lamine Yamal responds to his critics with cryptic message

Follow-up – Al-Wasat Iraqi newspaper

Spanish star Lamine Yamal, of Barcelona and the Spain national team, sparked controversy on social media after posting a cryptic message on his official Instagram account, coinciding with continued intense interest in his personal life.

Lamine Yamal led Spain to an exciting 3-2 victory over England in the Nations League and also scored a goal against England.

Yamal posted a photo of himself in the Spain national team shirt during the England match, accompanying it with a short message in English that read: "Love me or hate me, I don't care," and added Spanish flags at the end of the post.

The message received massive engagement in a short time, especially since Yamal has become the focus of fans and the media not only for his performance on the pitch but also for his life off it.

Despite widespread speculation about the reason for Yamal's recent message, he did not specify the people or events he was referring to directly.

Lamine Yamal is strongly competing for this year's Ballon d'Or after winning the 2026 World Cup.

The Barcelona star faces fierce competition from some of his national team colleagues such as Rodri and Ferran Torres, alongside Kylian Mbappé, the top scorer for the France national team.