Mario Lemina joked he didn’t know Lamine Yamal — then revealed his son is a huge fan
Mario Lemina insisted he didn’t know Lamine Yamal. After FC Barcelona’s 4-1 victory over Galatasaray, the young Spanish international of Moroccan origin responded with humor. But the Gabonese midfielder’s reply took an unexpected turn: his own son adores the Barcelona star.
“Of course I know you. My little one is crazy about you!” Mario Lemina finally admitted that he knew Lamine Yamal—and quite well. A few hours after Galatasaray’s defeat to Barça in the Champions League on Tuesday, October 13, the Gabonese midfielder posted a photo of his children alongside the young Spanish star, with a congratulatory message. It was a rather amusing way to put an end to a brief war of words that had greatly amused Barcelona supporters.
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It all began with an interview in August 2025, in which Lemina was asked about Lamine Yamal. His answer came as a surprise: “Who is Lamine Yamal? I don’t know him. I know Sané.” The Galatasaray player was referring to his teammate Leroy Sané, a former Germany international who played for Bayern Munich. His remarks resurfaced on social media as the two teams’ match approached.
The contest quickly swung in favor of the 19-year-old. In the 10th minute, the two men clashed after a robust challenge by Lemina. But Yamal made the biggest difference in the second half. He provided two assists, first for Fermín López and then for Anthony Gordon, playing a major role in Barcelona’s 4-1 win in Istanbul.
“So he knows who I am now?”
Named player of the match, Lamine Yamal couldn’t resist replying. On Instagram, he posted a photo of himself with his trophy, along with a question directed at his opponent: “So he knows who I am now?”
His teammates immediately joined in the joke. Raphinha and Fermín López commented that they thought Lemina knew who he was by now. Anthony Gordon also praised his performance. The post quickly spread among Barça supporters.
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But the story did not end with another provocation. After the final whistle, the two players exchanged a few words on the pitch. Lemina took the opportunity to introduce his children to Yamal. The Galatasaray midfielder later shared a photo of the family meeting on Instagram, as reported by ElDesmarque.
“Of course I know you. My little one is crazy about you. Congratulations,” he wrote in reply to the Barcelona player. After suggesting that he had no idea who Lamine Yamal was, Mario Lemina revealed that the young player was already a genuine idol in his own family.
