Lamine Yamal Waves Palestinian Flag During Barcelona Title Parade

Spanish football player Lamine Yamal waved a large Palestinian flag while standing on an open-top bus during Barcelona's championship parade in the Catalan capital on May 12, 2026. The 18-year-old participated in the event hours after his team defeated Real Madrid 2-0 in El Clasico, securing its second consecutive La Liga title.

Yamal had missed the match due to injury but joined his teammates for the celebration with thousands of fans lining the streets. Video clips of Yamal holding and waving the flag spread rapidly on social media. Palestinians in Gaza and supporters elsewhere described the action as a show of solidarity.

Muhammed Akram, a Palestinian student in Gaza, wrote that the gesture "reaches the heart in ways words cannot describe" and added, "Thank you, Lamine Yamal. " The Palestinian flag has been displayed at protests and public events in hundreds of cities over the past two and a half years.

Activists view such displays as expressions of support for Palestinians in Gaza. Al Jazeera reported that more than 72,740 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, including 854 during a ceasefire that began last October.

Reactions to the Gesture Lebanese political activist and writer Dyab Abou Jahjah posted, "When you have a platform, use it. When you have a voice, speak out. " Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick told reporters he had spoken with Yamal about the incident.

" Yamal later posted several photos from the parade, including one with the Palestinian flag, on his Instagram account, which has 44.2 million followers. The post received 5.3 million likes and more than 100,000 shares. " Teammate Marcus Rashford and Dutch footballer Anwar El Ghazi were among those who also commented.