Barcelona star Lamine Yamal hits back at 'fake' rumours as teenager opens up on handling life in the spotlight

Yamal has enjoyed a blistering start to the current campaign, netting seven goals in just seven Liga appearances this season. With such elite performances comes intense global attention. The Spanish international is constantly in the headlines, forcing him to navigate a relentless wave of media scrutiny, daily rumours, and unnecessary controversies.

However, the Blaugrana prodigy is taking it all in his stride. Over time, Yamal admitted that he has developed a mature approach to the intense spotlight, learning to block out the external noise and focus entirely on his football.

Speaking to L'Equipe, the teenager opened up about his evolving relationship with the press. He admitted that the constant stream of false information used to frustrate him heavily during the early stages of his career.

"When I was younger, I didn't understand," Yamal explained. "I didn't understand because most of the controversies or rumours circulating about me are false. It has always been like that with me! I used to say to myself, 'But I didn't do that, why are they saying that?'."

As his profile has grown, Yamal has quickly realised that his name alone generates massive commercial interest. He understands that sections of the media will willingly manufacture stories simply to capitalise on his immense popularity across the globe.

"I realised that in the end, what sells about me, even when I don't do anything, is inventing things to be able to talk about them," he noted. "So now, I take it like this: 'Well, I didn't know I did that, but hey, it doesn't matter!'. I always make sure my mother is calm, that she knows I didn't do it, that it's false. And if that's the case, it doesn't bother me."

Yamal will now focus on his international duties with Spain, having been named in Luis de la Fuente's squad for the upcoming international break. La Roja are scheduled to face England on September 26, followed by two matches against Croatia (September 29 and October 6) and a game against the Czech Republic on October 3.