Raphinha surprises Lamine Yamal with gold iPhone worth £10k to celebrate Barcelona wonderkid’s Kopa Trophy triumph after being 'inspired' by Lionel Messi

Teenage wonderkid Yamal was recently awarded the prestigious Kopa Trophy at the glitzy Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris. That prize is handed out to the best U21 player on the planet. At the age of just 17, Euro 2024 winner Yamal has been shattering records and rewriting the history books.

A club colleague in Catalunya believes those exploits need to be rewarded, with Raphinha – who fills Barcelona’s captain’s armband at present – arranging for Yamal to be presented with a luxury phone in recognition of his achievements. The Brazil international has also treated himself to some new bling.

According to The Sun, a source has said of Barca stars taking ownership of unique gifts from I Design Gold: “Raphinha presented the solid gold iPhone to Yamal when they were together and he was delighted. It was a mark of their friendship both off and on the field and was given to him after the Ballon d’Or ceremony where he got the Koba trophy. Raphinha had the phone made especially for Yamal by I Design Gold and it was tailored to all of his preferences and has his name engraved on the back.”

A spokesperson for IDG added: “Yamal and Raphinha have formed a very special partnership on the field with Robert Lewandowski; off the pitch, they have become great friends. We were honoured to deliver this amazing young player our famous gold iPhone. As a company, we always look after individuals and create exclusive pieces that reflect their personalities. Next year, we’re excited to be expanding further into the Middle East and USA retail markets, bringing our luxury designs to even more clients who appreciate innovation and personalisation.”

Raphinha’s generous idea was inspired by former Barcelona superstar Messi, who presented Argentina’s playing and coaching staff with gold iPhones following their World Cup triumph at Qatar 22 – with an order of 35 items setting the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner back £175,000.