Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal recently found himself at the center of a light-hearted and hilarious fan moment following an encounter with Portugal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) left-back Nuno Mendes.
During the Nations League final between Portugal and Spain, Mendes had the responsibility of battling Yamal. Continuing his impressive form in the 2024-25 campaign, the PSG player did what other defenders have struggled to do over the past twelve months: he completely nullified Yamal’s threat, rendering him ineffective until the 17-year-old was substituted in the second half of the additional thirty minutes.
A video recently surfaced online and went viral. In the video, Mendes was seen disembarking from an aircraft, and someone in the crowd couldn’t resist reminding the Portuguese defender of how he kept Yamal under wraps throughout the encounter. The unknown individual said (via Al-Nassr Zone’s X handle):
Regardless of the humbling experience Lamine Yamal had in the Nations League, he still remains a strong contender for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. He concluded the 2024-25 campaign with Barcelona, notching 43 goal contributions in 55 appearances across competitions.
While Nuno Mendes has established himself as one of the best players currently in his position, he understands the qualities that Lamine Yamal possesses. After the match, he reveled in the fact that he made the La Masia graduate ineffective, which contributed to Portugal winning their second Nations League title.
He said (via ESPN):
Lamine Yamal and Nuno Mendes’ Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammates, are currently two strong contenders to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. The Portuguese left-back threw his weight behind the Frenchman for the award, saying:
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel’s journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles’ fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium’s incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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