Lamine Yamal’s World Cup win was matched by his three-year-old brother Kenye, whose celebrations after Spain beat Argentina went viral.
Spain’s World Cup win also turned the spotlight on Lamine Yamal’s little brother, Kenye, after the three-year-old’s celebrations drew wide attention online. Footage of the youngster reacting to Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina spread across social media on Sunday, and fans quickly began calling him one of the tournament’s surprise breakout names.
While the 19-year-old Yamal helped Spain claim football’s biggest prize, much of the online conversation shifted to the scenes from the stands. Kenye was shown sticking out his tongue on the big screen and cheering wildly for his older brother, moments that won over viewers and added a lighter note to Spain’s title run.
Spain’s victory came after a hard-fought final at New York New Jersey Stadium, where the winning goal arrived in the 106th minute. The result gave Spain its second World Cup title and made Lamine Yamal the youngest player ever to win both the European Championship and the World Cup.
Kenye has already become a familiar face around Lamine Yamal, appearing in his TikToks and drawing affection from fans around the world. The child is the son of Yamal’s mother, Sheila Ebana, and Yamal has spoken warmly about him before, saying he feels deeply moved by his brother’s happiness and describing him as everything to him.
The final also carried a symbolic edge for Yamal, who faced Lionel Messi for the first time in a World Cup final. The two had crossed paths years earlier, in 2007, when Messi was photographed holding and bathing a baby Yamal after Yamal’s mother won a contest to meet a Barcelona first-team player. Before Sunday’s match, Messi called Yamal one of the best players in the game and said he wished him well, even if Argentina would try to stop him from becoming champion. As the whistle blew, the two were seen embracing on the pitch. The takeaway is simple: Spain won the trophy, but the Yamal family story gave this World Cup an extra human touch.
