Lamine Yamal's actions while Portugal lifted the Nations League trophy on Saturday night have caused a major stir. The 17-year-old is among the top candidates for this year's Ballon d'Or, and sealing a fourth piece of silverware at the Allianz Arena this weekend would no doubt have helped make an even more compelling case for him to be crowned the world's best.
However, Nuno Mendes - riding high after his Champions League triumph with Paris Saint-Germain - had other plans. The Portuguese defender effectively neutralised Yamal, who struggled to make a consistent impact throughout the match. Despite Spain fighting back twice to level the score at 2-2 and force a penalty shootout, Portugal ultimately prevailed after Alvaro Morata missed his attempt.
It was one of the rare nights where Yamal failed to shine. Perhaps frustrated with both his performance and Spain’s defeat, his actions during Portugal’s trophy celebration have since drawn criticism as he made a swift beeline to the tunnel while his teammates applauded the victors.
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Yamal Caught Heading Down Tunnel During Portugal's Trophy Lift
The rest of the Spanish squad stood and clapped their opponents
Lamine Yamal
After making headlines for heading straight down the tunnel during Barcelona's La Liga-clinching win against Espanyol last month - following Hansi Flick's orders to avoid provoking an intense rival crowd - Yamal has developed a bit of a habit of attracting unnecessary attention during trophy celebrations.
This time, as the rest of the Spain squad stayed behind to watch on and applaud as Portugal lifted their second Nations League title, the youngster was spotted slowly making his way off the pitch and into the dressing room. Watch the incident below:
Of course, at such a young age, Yamal still has a lot to learn, but onlookers online were quick to criticise him for such actions. "He should be fined," one harsh X user said, while another added: "Sore loser," and a third remarked:
"I'm beginning to dislike him, he's too arrogant and proud."
A fourth user wrote: "This is really immature." Meanwhile, another concluded: "He’s still young and needs to understand that this is just a sport. He must learn to clap for others, as one day they will also clap for him."