"It's no coincidence the two of them were together" - Raphinha reveals what Lamine Yamal asked him about texting Neymar before link-up in Brazil

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Barcelona attacker Raphinha has revealed that it is not a coincidence that Lamine Yamal and Neymar linked up in Brazil. He also disclosed that Yamal asked him if Neymar would respond to his message before the duo were pictured together.

In a recent interview, Raphinha revealed that Yamal wasn't sure if Neymar would reply to his messages. But he assured the teenager that the Brazil great will get back. He said (via GOAL):

"He asked me if I was going to text Neymar, if he was going to reply. And I told him of course he's going to reply. I think with the level he's reached, he has access to anything he wants or anyone, even Neymar Jr. It's no coincidence the two of them were together."

During the off-season, Lamine Yamal travelled to Brazil, where he met Neymar. The link-up was partly facilitated by Raphinha, who happens to be Neymar's national teammate.

Yamal was sensational for Barcelona in the recently concluded season, scoring 18 goals and providing 25 assists in 55 appearances across competitions.

"I would like Lamine to win" - Gerard Pique on who he prefers to win the Ballon d’Or between Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal

 GettyKings League Cup France 2025 - Final - Source: Getty

Former Barcelona centre-back has backed Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or over Ousmane Dembele. While acknowledging that the duo are incredible, Pique said that he would like the Spaniard to win the award as he was playing for the Blaugrana.

Pique said (via Barca Universal):

“I’ve had the opportunity to share a dressing room with both Dembele and Lamine. They are both incredible guys. Ousmane you know the way he is, and Lamine is very talented, very special, I prefer Lamine because he is at Barcelona now and also in the King's League. I would like Lamine to win. He is very young, very talented. I think he is very special. But I would also like Ousmane. And if he finally wins, I’ll be happy for him.”

Yamal won LaLiga, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup last season with Barcelona. Meanwhile, Dembele won the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophée des Champions for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2024-25 season.

Dembele also delivered 48 goal contributions in 49 games across competitions.

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About the author

Abel Yisa

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava

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