Disturbing figures reveal Barcelona superstar became main target of online hate in November

A troubling report has shed light on the scale of abuse faced by Lamine Yamal, highlighting the darker side of fame that now follows one of Barcelona’s brightest stars. 

It is said that the teenage forward accounted for 6% of all hate messages linked to sport on social media during the month of November.

The data comes from the Spanish Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia (Oberaxe) (h/t AS), which monitors racist and xenophobic behaviour online. 

During November alone, the organisation detected a total of 39,054 racist or xenophobic messages across social media platforms. 

Of those, 51% were removed, marking the highest removal rate recorded in any month so far, even surpassing July.

Alarming figures for the sport itself

Despite that improvement, the figures remain alarming, and Yamal’s name sits uncomfortably at the centre of them. 

This is because the Barcelona winger became the most targeted figure in the sporting world during that period.

The spike in abuse followed a controversial episode involving the Royal Spanish Football Federation. 

Lamine Yamal has once again made the headlines. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

On November 11, Yamal was dropped from the Spanish national team after undergoing what was described as “an invasive radiofrequency procedure to treat pubic discomfort” without the federation’s prior knowledge. 

The decision immediately sparked debate, and it quickly spiralled into something far uglier online.

In the days that followed, social media platforms were flooded with racist messages directed at Yamal, including demeaning comparisons to animals. 

The scale and intensity of the abuse made him the primary focus of hateful content in sport for that month, despite his age and the medical nature of the situation.

Oberaxe’s latest monthly monitoring bulletin also placed the November figures into a detailed context. 

With the addition of those 39,054 messages, the total number of racist or xenophobic posts detected on social media has now reached 779,198. 

While the improved rate of content removal is seen as a step forward, the overall volume shows how persistent and widespread the problem remains.