Lamine Yamal. The 18-year-old Barcelona star. Waved a Palestinian flag during the team’s open-top bus parade celebrating their 29th La Liga title, according to multiple sources, as the incident took place on May 11, 2026, following Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Real Madrid in the final Clasico match of the season.

Pro-Palestine Solidarity in a Football Celebration

Several widely shared online clips captured Yamal waving the Palestinian flag to cheers from a jubilant crowd, though Tens of thousands of fans lined the streets of Barcelona for the parade, which moved from Camp Nou to the city center. Yamal’s gesture came amid a year of sustained pro-Palestinian activism in the city, with regular protests and aid flotillas attempting to break the blockade of Gaza.

According to Al Jazeera, Barcelona has been a major hub for pro-Palestinian movements in Spain since October 2023, when Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began, and the city has also hosted international events such as the Palestine FA chief’s criticisms at the FIFA Congress and protests against Israeli settlement expansion.

Anti-Madridista Message and Other Tributes

Alongside the Palestinian flag, Yamal also wore a shirt reading “Thank God I’m not a Madridista,” a jab at Real Madrid fans. The shirt, posted on social media, was widely shared and discussed among football fans. The phrase translates to “GRACIAS A DIOS NO SOY MADRIDISTA” in Spanish.

Yamal was not the only athlete to show support for Palestine in recent months. According to Football Espana, other Spanish football players have also been seen carrying the Palestinian flag, though no names were specified in the reports.

Earlier in the day, Yamal had already made a statement on social media. He posted a video of himself celebrating a goal by teammate Ferran Torres with the caption “talk is cheap,” which many interpreted as a reference to a previous post by Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham.

Context of the La Liga Title

Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Real Madrid on Sunday marked the second time in history that the La Liga title was decided by the outcome of an El Clasico match. The win solidified their place in Spanish football history and earned Yamal a central role in the celebrations, despite his absence from the match due to injury.

Barcelona’s parade was marked by an outpouring of civic pride, with fans waving both team and Catalan flags. However, Yamal’s Palestinian flag stood out as a bold political statement in a largely apolitical sports event.

TRT World and Al Jazeera both highlighted the broader context of Barcelona’s role in pro-Palestinian activism, noting that the city has become a departure point for aid flotillas and a gathering place for protests opposing Israel’s policies in Gaza.