Real Madrid forward tells media to focus on his Barcelona counterpart’s football rather than private life
Kylian Mbappe has defended Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, urging the media and fans to stop focusing on the 18-year-old’s personal life and allow him to grow both as a footballer and as a person.
The Real Madrid striker said Yamal should be judged for what he does on the pitch, not off it.
This comes after weeks of coverage surrounding the youngster’s private life, including birthday celebrations that went viral over the invitation of dwarf entertainers.
Yamal has proved himself to be one of Europe’s brightest young talents. He has already won back-to-back Kopa Trophies as the best under-21 player in the world, and finished as the runner-up in the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
However, his rapid rise has also been accompanied by intense scrutiny.
“You can see [Lamine] has passion for football and that’s the only thing he mustn’t lose,” Mbappe said.
“The rest is just his life. People talk about his personal life, but I think people should leave him alone. [Lamine] is a great football player, but in life he’s an 18-year-old kid. At that age, everyone makes mistakes. You do things right, you do things wrong.”
“In the end, he’ll have his life experience,” said Mbappe. “He’ll know what’s good for him, and in the end, you just have to look at what he does on the pitch.
“What he does off the pitch isn’t important, if it’s not serious. He has great talent and will follow the path he wants. I wish him the best of luck.”
