Lamine Yamal finally explains why he wears a hand bandage even though he isn’t hurt.
Lamine Yamal has been wearing a bandage on his hand for almost 16 months after an unlucky injury while playing PlayStation, but why does he still wear it?
It’s become a regular part of his matchday look.
Last February, fans got worried when the young star showed up at Barcelona’s training ground in Sant Joan Despí with a white bandage on his right hand and tape on two fingers.
Even though there was no official medical update from Barça, Yamal still played in their next La Liga game, a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.
So, what’s the story? Over a year later, Yamal finally explained why he keeps wearing the bandage — and it turns out Karim Benzema inspired him.
In a chat on his YouTube channel, Yamal shared, “I bandage it because, while playing PlayStation, I hit the TV and smashed my fingers; they got really swollen.”
He liked how the bandage looked and felt, especially as a nod to former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. “After that, I kept bandaging them, and it made me feel like I was Benzema,” he said.
“We joked about the KB9, so I decided to just keep it on because it looks cool.”
Back in January 2019, Benzema broke the little finger on his right hand during a game against Real Betis and was told he needed surgery.
He chose not to have the operation, which would have kept him off the field for about two months, and instead wore a bandage during Madrid’s Copa del Rey match against Leganes.
Benzema went on to score in four games, making the bandage something of a lucky charm.
He eventually had surgery that summer, but since he didn’t do much rehab, his finger never fully healed.
To avoid making it worse, Benzema still wears a bandage while playing.
“I did have surgery, but after that, you’re out for two months,” he said in 2021. “I hurt it again, but I can’t stop to have another operation, so I just wear the bandage when I play.”
Before Spain’s friendly win against Peru on Monday night, Yamal took part in a fun Q&A on his YouTube channel.
He was asked what promises he’d keep if Spain won the World Cup for a second time, and his first promise was about his facial hair.
“I promise that if I win the World Cup, I’ll grow a full beard and moustache for (cameraman says ‘one year’)… A whole year?! Three weeks,” he laughed.
Yamal also promised to give away 100 pairs of Beats by Dre headphones, which can cost around £350 each.
“I promise that if I win the World Cup, I’ll raffle 100 Beats,” he added.