At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a fashion accessory – a black headband barely visible under Lamin Yamal’s tangled black hair.
Only by carefully looking at the photographs of the incredibly talented striker of the Spanish national team, one could discern the inscription on the armband: “Ego Yamal.”
When asked AthleticSources close to the teen, who spoke anonymously because they did not have permission to speak, explained that it was a personalized message based on the hate he receives on TikTok, where users who ridicule and criticize him call him Ego Yamal.
Yamal has an ego and he accepts it. His choice of headdress was another example of how Yamal feels about being Yamal.
It’s a good job, the 18-year-old is enjoying his time in the spotlight as things are only going to get more intense. Today he will take center stage in one of the most enticing matches of the World Cup so far – a round of 16 meeting with Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, whose ego has probably drawn more scrutiny than any footballer on the planet.
These are two players at different stages of their careers who are trying to find their new role in the football firmament: Yamal goes from newcomer to protagonist, and Ronaldo from bright superstar to supernova.
Neither of these transitions are easy, and today their worlds collide.
Cristiano Ronaldo has no intention of leaving the stage just yet (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Yamal is a playful child who decided that, having achieved superstar status, he simply would not change for the sake of PR.
He grew up in the world of social media, scrolling through TikTok and Instagram when he’s bored and also when he needs to find motivation in his game. He expresses himself through social media, sharing personal problems or sending cheeky messages to opponents before a big match. This is football, which he learned on the streets, the fun and risk, what it is and what he likes about this game.
“I’ll tell you a story,” Yamal told radio station Cadena COPE last week. “This season with Barcelona we played Getafe. I was already injured and didn’t play. We won and the Getafe crowd gave Pedri a standing ovation when he was substituted in the game. After the match, our manager Hansi Flick spoke to me and said: ‘Look, you should be treated the same, but when you score, you celebrate in front of them.’
“I answered Flick from my point of view and asked him: “Do you think if I scored and celebrated with my teammates, the opposing fans wouldn’t boo me?” My opinion: I don’t think so. I’m not the same (like Pedri); we are different players. Pedri reminds me of Andres Iniesta. Everyone loves him; I love him, but I’m different. I will have half the fans who will love me very much; the other half will boo me, and I’m okay with that!
“That’s what I love about football. Cristiano Ronaldo got booed. (Lionel) Messi got booed. Neymar, Vinicius, (Kylian) Mbappe… I live with it and I wouldn’t want it to change and be applauded everywhere. That’s what makes football great.”
This anecdote sums up the Yamal mentality and explains why it has made it so marketable. Yamalomania permeates every city in the United States wherever one sets foot. The face of Yamal heads the largest advertisement. His Spain jersey dominates the stands in every game he plays. The roar when he touches the ball is on another level.
Spain as a country has never had anything like this.
Yamal’s preparation for this tournament was not easy. He missed the end of Barcelona’s season with a left hamstring injury suffered in April and was unable to recover in time for Spain’s first group game, a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, where he came on as a late substitute. Instead, his appearance came in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, where he needed just 10 minutes to score his first World Cup goal.
Lamin Yamal celebrates his goal against Saudi Arabia (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Compared to some of the tournament’s other stars – Messi, Mbappe, Erling Haaland and the like – Yamal started quietly, not scoring a goal and yet to provide an assist, but he showed off some of his signature dynamic shots and was rarely fun to watch. He has more than enough time to make his mark.
“The World Cup starts now,” Yamal told reporters after defeating Austria in the round of 16. “Now I’m 100 percent ready. I feel like myself again, making the runs I need, dribbling the ball. I’m very happy.”
The golden era of Spanish football in the late 2000s and early 2010s was built on a collective feeling; a cohesive team that had the best tactical knowledge and found its greatest strength in collective efforts.
Xavi Hernandez, Iniesta, David Villa, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Gerard Pique, Fernando Torres – they were all great players, but no one had such individual talent and a prominent personality in the industry as Yamal does now.
There is also an element of taking advantage of the opportunity. Told those close to Yamal Athletic The teenager sees the World Cup as the biggest competition in world football, even more important than the fight for the Champions League. The industry was determined to make him a poster boy and he embraced it from the start.
This may be the first time American soccer fans have had the opportunity to see a teenage prodigy perform at this level on soccer’s biggest stage. Fans who go to stadiums go there to enjoy Yamal. This happens in Barcelona too, but there is also a sense of caution here; they want Yamal to stay that way for a long time and make their club the dominant force they dream of becoming again.
The World Cup has shown glimpses of Lamin Yamal’s talent so far (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
While Yamal is going through a transition from prodigy to arguably one of the true greatest footballers of the modern era, Ronaldo has had to move in a different direction; down from the very top of the sport to, well, obviously still very good, but unable to do what he used to be able to do, he’s now 41 years old.
Add to this that he has arguably the biggest ego in football, and Ronaldo becomes an obvious target for criticism. A little humility would go a long way in combating these attacks, but it would also challenge what has made Ronaldo so incredibly successful.
There has never been any denial of man’s ego. He always exudes self-confidence and uses it to propel himself on and off the field.
“This is part of my success,” he told El Mundo when he was at the peak of his powers in 2015. “I was born to be the best. I am who I am, and if all my achievements in football come down to this, then I would not change a thing. You can’t live your life obsessing over what other people think of you. Even God can’t please everyone.”
Neither God nor Ronaldo.
Jorge Valdano, former Real Madrid CEO, perhaps put it best when he called Ronaldo “the most profitable ego in the history of football.”
Ronaldo generally does not respond directly to online criticism, although during interviews he often refers to what has been said about him. Instead, he leaves it to his sisters, who regularly fight for him on social media.
Just last month, his sister Elma Aveiro called journalist Carlos Daniel (who questioned Ronaldo’s place in the Portugal team) “weak, stupid and decrepit.” And the pre-match narrative ahead of Portugal’s round of 16 clash with Croatia was shaped by another sister, Catia Aveiro, who said she believed this summer’s tournament would be her brother’s “last dance.”
Cristiano Ronaldo tends to let his sisters respond to online trolls (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Despite the bravado, it must be difficult for Ronaldo to see his great rival Messi, as well as younger contenders for the throne Mbappe, Haaland and Harry Kane, eclipsing him during the World Cup.
Its position in the football ecosystem has changed. He is now an aging GOAT whose obsession with goals, fame, fame and recognition continues, but he lacks the physical ability to achieve what he once could.
His substitution in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Croatia also showed, contrary to popular belief, that he is not completely untouchable. Roberto Martinez surprisingly took off Ronaldo at 1-1 and watched from the bench as substitute striker Gonzalo Ramos headed in the winning goal.
However, those expecting an eternal touchline row were disappointed as Ronaldo dutifully joined in the celebrations near the corner flag after Ramos’ victory. Earlier, when he was replaced by Ruben Neves, his lip looked quite quivering as he realized he might be leaving the field for the last time at the World Cup.
That’s not to say Ronaldo handled his minor fall with grace, well, let’s just say grace, but his tendency to throw tantrums, if the Croatia match is any indication, has disappeared – even if it helped Portugal win.
When Ronaldo and Yamal meet in Dallas, recognition and glory will go to one ego. Ronaldo would love nothing more than to put a young contender in his place, but if Spain win we may never see football’s greatest ego on the big stage again.
Yamal is ready to take his place.