Did Yamal clone himself? Seven lookalikes of the Barcelona star from around the world

Lamine Yamal has risen to global football stardom so rapidly that his fame is now bringing popularity even to people who have never played professionally and have nothing to do with football. In different corners of the world, young men remarkably similar to the Spanish wonderkid keep appearing. Some have become TikTok and Instagram stars, others attract crowds of football fans, while a few use their resemblance to the footballer for elaborate pranks.

The latest such case occurred in Colombia. There, a young butcher was discovered whose appearance reminded internet users so strongly of Yamal that some initially even suspected artificial intelligence was involved. However, this is far from the first such episode. The Spanish footballer already has an entire collection of unexpected lookalikes — from South America to India and Europe.

The Colombian lookalike who swapped Barcelona for a butcher shop

The latest story attracted widespread attention in late October 2026. In the small municipality of Curumaní, located in Colombia’s Cesar department, a customer at the Carnes La Garantía butcher shop noticed an unusual employee. The young man behind the counter turned out to bear a striking resemblance to the Barcelona star.

The similarity was particularly noticeable thanks to his distinctive curly hairstyle with bleached strands. Users also thought the Colombian’s facial features and smile looked remarkably similar. Soon, footage began circulating online showing the young man calmly doing his job while someone nearby joked about his appearance.

The most interesting part began with a reference to the latest El Clásico. Barcelona, of course, lost 2-1 to Real Madrid on October 25. The video’s creator imagined an alternative version of Yamal’s career: supposedly, after the defeat, the Spaniard became disillusioned with football, left the Catalan club and went to Colombia to sell meat.

“He lost El Clásico and came here” — that was roughly the joke behind the video. The employee himself was called Cacique by his colleagues. The young man did not argue with the unexpected comparison; he simply smiled and carried on with his duties.

The video quickly spread across social media and reached various sports outlets. Some users even suggested that it was the work of artificial intelligence. Others urged the Colombian to monetize his resemblance by taking photos with fans and appearing at various events.

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Colombia already has a second Yamal

Notably, Cacique is not the first Colombian to gain attention because of his resemblance to the Barcelona footballer.

Back in the summer of 2025, a young man appeared in Cúcuta, a city in northeastern Colombia, who began using the image of “Yamal Colombiano” himself. His appearance and movements reminded people so strongly of the Spanish winger that passers-by began stopping to take photos with him.

One episode was particularly memorable during an evening bicycle ride through the city. Local residents and football fans approached the young man, took photos with him and discussed his resemblance to the genuine Barcelona star.

The young man quickly settled into his role as an internet celebrity. Under the name Yamal Colombiano, he began posting videos on social media. The Colombian also appeared in clips with local bloggers, including popular creator Ever Murillo, known as Murillo Flow.

The Spanish lookalike who became a celebrity in his own right

Even before the Colombian stories, users’ attention had been drawn to Spaniard Raúl González — though this was not the Real Madrid legend. In September 2024, he was introduced as one of the young men most similar to Yamal. The story gained traction after he appeared on the popular Spanish programme El Chiringuito.

Raúl said that people had noticed the resemblance since spring 2023, when Yamal was only beginning to receive playing time for Barcelona’s first team. At first, it was relatives and friends who pointed it out; later, strangers began stopping the young man in the street.

Some passers-by even mistook him for the real footballer and asked for photos together. Unlike people who might find such attention irritating, Raúl embraced the situation. He admitted that he enjoyed the unexpected popularity and the opportunity to meet new people. The lookalike also shared another trait with the original: he was a football fan too. Raúl made no secret of the fact that he would love to attract the attention of Yamal himself or Barcelona.

Another teenager resembling the Barcelona star was found in India

In September 2026, the story continued in India. There, users’ attention was drawn to 15-year-old Allen James from the state of Kerala. The teenager looked so much like Yamal that videos featuring him began spreading rapidly on social media.

Allen lives in Chakkuvally, in Kollam district. According to the teenager, people around him had previously told him that he resembled the Spanish footballer. However, real fame arrived after local video blogger Nikhil Manohar filmed a clip with him.

In the footage, Allen displayed the distinctive facial features, smile and hairstyle associated with the footballer. Additional attention was generated by videos showing the teenager wearing a Barcelona shirt bearing Yamal’s name.

One Instagram video surpassed 14 million views. Allen’s own audience also grew dramatically: according to Indian media reports, his follower count jumped from around 200 to more than 20,000.

Malaysia: Yamal’s lookalike supports Ronaldo

Another unusual case emerged in Malaysia. There, Muhamad Zakhir Muhamad Zaidi gained popularity because of his resemblance to the Spanish footballer. He is from the state of Kelantan and began attracting football fans’ attention after viral posts appeared in July 2026.

Zakhir did not just become known online: people began approaching him in the streets, asking for photos together and calling him Yamal. The funniest episode came during an esports competition at a public World Cup final screening. The Malaysian unexpectedly finished first, prompting spectators to chant his nickname — “Yamal.”

Zakhir admitted that he enjoyed the fans’ attention. He also said he would be delighted to meet the real Spanish footballer. But there is one unexpected twist: despite his physical resemblance to Yamal, the Malaysian supports Portugal and is a Cristiano Ronaldo fan.

In London, a lookalike fooled hundreds of football fans

Perhaps the most unusual case, however, occurred in London in October 2026, shortly before the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

A man who looked like Yamal decided to capitalize on the heightened attention surrounding the Spanish star. He did not simply take to the streets with a similar hairstyle and outfit; he also tried to recreate the footballer’s public image as accurately as possible.

For added authenticity, people posing as security guards joined him. The stunt worked: passers-by and football fans began gathering around the lookalike, believing he was the real Barcelona player.

Hundreds of people tried to get closer to the man to greet him and take photos together. Many were convinced they had genuinely encountered Yamal in the British capital. It was only a prank, however. The real footballer was not walking the streets of London with such an entourage at the time: he was expected to attend the ceremony with his family and representatives of Barcelona.

This episode is particularly interesting because Yamal’s resemblance was no longer being used merely for online entertainment. The lookalike effectively staged a small performance in which he played the role of a famous footballer, while those around him briefly believed it was real.

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Yamal even has a lookalike in the world of tennis

There is also an even more unexpected story involving American tennis player Jordan Lee. In July 2026, he won the junior Wimbledon title, but interest in the young athlete had emerged even before that success.

In November 2025, posts began circulating on social media comparing Lee’s appearance to Yamal’s. The American did not deny the resemblance and even joked about it.

In an interview with the International Tennis Federation’s official website, he admitted that Yamal was one of his favorite footballers. More than that, the tennis player jokingly suggested that perhaps it was the Spaniard who had copied his hairstyle.

It made for an intriguing situation: unlike random internet lookalikes, Jordan Lee is a promising athlete in his own right — in a completely different sport. His resemblance to the footballer became an additional talking point surrounding his name.

Why does Yamal have so many lookalikes?

The phenomenon is largely explained by Yamal’s meteoric rise in popularity. Just a few years ago, he was a promising Barcelona academy prospect; now, football fans recognize him in virtually every corner of the globe.

It also matters that Yamal has become one of the leading representatives of football’s new generation. His photos, videos and goal celebrations regularly appear on social media, meaning that even a slight resemblance to him can attract enormous attention.

Not all of the cases mentioned are the same, however. Some people genuinely resemble the footballer, some deliberately copy his image, while others use the similarity for humorous content.

So how many lookalikes does Yamal have?

If we bring together the most notable stories, there are at least seven intriguing cases. Yamal lookalikes are appearing in the most unexpected places, and some have gained a level of popularity they could previously only have dreamed of. It is especially amusing that Colombia now has two people being compared to the Spanish star — one of whom continues to sell meat while football fans around the world share his photos.

This is very likely not the last story of its kind. As long as Yamal remains one of the most recognizable footballers on the planet, the internet will surely keep finding new contenders for the title of his lookalike.