Barcelona celebrated a resounding 4‑1 victory over Galatasaray on the second day of the Champions League, and winger Lamine Yamal's great goal became the center of attention not only for its quality, but also for the response it provoked in Turkish midfielder Mario Lemina. After the victory, Yamal posted a photo on Instagram with the Best Man of the Match award and added the ironic text “He know me now?” accompanied by a ghost emoticon, referring to a controversy from August 2025 in which Lemina had questioned the comparison between Yamal and his partner Leroy Sané.
The controversy dates back to the August 15 interview, when Lemina was asked about the similarity between Yamal and Sané. His response, "Who is Lamine Yamal? I don't know him. I know Sané," circulated again on social media before the meeting in Istanbul. When Yamal shined with two assists and a dominant performance, the message in his post took on new meaning, hinting that the Turkish midfielder had finally seen the young talent.
The joke did not go unanswered. Yamal's companions joined the provocation. Raphinha commented: “I think he knows you now,” while Fermín López replied in English: “I think he knows you.” Anthony Gordon added a simple “Amazing” and Gavi sent a GIF of Yamal dancing. The tone of the conversation remained light and friendly, although loaded with sports humor.
Mario Lemina, instead of responding with more provocations, opted for a more cordial gesture. On her Instagram story, she posted an endearing photo of Yamal with her children and wrote: “Of course I know you, my little one is crazy about you.” In addition, he publicly congratulated the Barcelona player with the message: “Congratulations, Lamine Yamal.” Thus, the initial confrontation became a kind of mutual recognition between both players.
With the result of 4‑1, Barcelona advances in the group stage of the Champions League, while Galatasaray faces the task of recovering in its next competitions. The social media scene, which began with a rhetorical question about Yamal's identity, concluded with a public congratulation and a gesture of goodwill, demonstrating that football can be both competitive and respectful.