Better than Neymar? Lamine Yamal pulls out Brazilian's famous celebration hours after sending Barcelona to Spanish Super Cup final

The 16-year-old forward delivered a decisive performance in the last four of the Supercopa de España semifinal, which inspired Barcelona to a 2-0 win over Athletic Club. His contributions on the pitch have already drawn widespread praise, but it was his post-goal celebration that stole the limelight.

While some fans likened his gesture to Kylian Mbappé’s signature move, the true inspiration behind it has a deeper connection to Yamal's footballing hero, Neymar. The young forward crossed his arms after scoring, which is a direct nod to Neymar’s iconic moment in 2013, when the Brazilian first performed the gesture after scoring a hat-trick in Barcelona's emphatic 6-1 victory over Celtic in the Champions League.

Yamal has always spoken highly about Neymar and in a recent CNN interview, he admitted: “I was five years old when I saw him at Santos, but seven when I saw him live at Camp Nou with Barcelona. Watching him was incredible. Yes, Messi was there, and he was amazing too, but Neymar was something completely different. He’s always been my idol. He’s a star, a football legend."

As Barcelona advanced to the final, Yamal now has the chance to claim his first piece of silverware for the club in 2025. The Blaugrana could face their eternal rivals, Real Madrid, in a highly anticipated summit showdown if Los Blancos overcome Mallorca in the second semifinal on Friday.