Yamal, 17 – who isn’t officially allowed to drink in most countries until his 18th birthday on July 13 – is among the leading contenders for the Ballon d’Or after playing a key role in Barcelona’s La Liga title win last season. But this week, he’s found himself under the microscope for something unrelated to football, after fans noticed he was holidaying in Italy with 29-year-old influencer and model Fati Vazquez.
The pair shared photos from the same location just days apart and were later photographed riding a jet ski together. However, as relationship rumours swirl, Vazquez has since downplayed the speculation, while those close to the La Masia youth graduate have dismissed their bond as nothing more than friendship.
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Influencer, 29, Issues Statement After Holidaying With Yamal
Their 12-year age gap has garnered a lot of online curiosity
According to Spanish gossip columnist Javi de Hoyos, Yamal “categorically denies that he’s with her; he says they have nothing going on”, and stated that the Barca forward “didn’t go to this vacation spot alone, but with other Barca teammates”.
Vazquez, who has almost 500,000 followers on Instagram, has since also broken her silence on the situation after receiving death threats in the wake of the rumours. She wrote:
“I’m getting slammed, and it feels unfair. First of all, I’m 29, I haven’t even turned 30 yet. I haven’t done anything wrong; I haven’t hurt anyone. This is affecting my family deeply, and honestly, I don’t want it to escalate further.
“I just spent a few days with Lamine, which is exactly what’s shown in the photos. And that’s it. I’m not going to say anything more, nor do I want to blow it up or make it into a scandal, because to me, it’s completely unnecessary.”
The connection between Yamal and Vazquez may have deeper roots than fans initially thought, however. Social media detectives recently unearthed an old Instagram comment from Yamal on one of Vasquez’s posts, dating back to when the wonderkid was just 13 years old.
While the comment itself was lighthearted and seemingly innocent, it’s since resurfaced amid the recent holiday photos that have sparked speculation about the nature of their relationship. See below:
It’s also worth noting that, according to claims made by the aforementioned Spanish gossip columnist, the model may actually be dating one of Yamal’s club teammates – though nothing has been confirmed.
