Galatasaray Star Mario Lemina Backtracks On His Sly Dig At Barcelona Star Lamine Yamal

Galatasaray midfielder Mario Lemina has responded to Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal after the Spanish winger delivered an impressive performance in the Catalan side’s 4-1 Champions League victory in Istanbul.

According to a report by Barca Universal on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, Lemina softened his earlier comments about Yamal by congratulating the teenager in a social media post following Barcelona’s emphatic win.

The Gabon international had attracted attention before Tuesday’s encounter after previous comments resurfaced in which he appeared to favour former teammate Leroy Sane over Yamal.

However, the Barcelona winger answered his critics on the pitch, producing an outstanding display to help his team secure a convincing victory against Galatasaray.

Yamal was named Player of the Match after influencing proceedings with his attacking quality, including an eye-catching fake-rabona assist for Anthony Gordon’s goal.

The 19-year-old later appeared to respond to Lemina’s earlier remarks by posting pictures from the match on social media with the caption, “Do you know me now?”, accompanied by a ghost emoji.

Lemina subsequently appeared to put the exchange behind him by sharing an Instagram story featuring his young son posing with the Barcelona star.

“Of course I know you, my little one is crazy about you. Congratulations Lamine Yamal,” the midfielder wrote.

The report also stated that Lemina was among the Galatasaray players who approached Yamal after the final whistle to arrange a photograph between the youngster and his son.

The exchange appears to have brought an end to the brief social media disagreement, with Yamal’s performance providing the main talking point following Barcelona’s victory.

Attention is now turning to a significant period for the Barcelona forward, who has continued to attract recognition for his performances at club and international level.

Yamal is also among the players being discussed in connection with the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with the ceremony scheduled for 26 October in London, according to the report.

The timing places the award ceremony just a day after Barcelona’s meeting with Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the 2026/27 season.