Barcelona captain Raphinha continued the growing trend of dressing room gifts with an extravagant gesture for his teenage teammate Lamine Yamal.
Indeed, the Brazilian star surprised the 17-year-old Euro winner with a custom-made gold iPhone 16 Pro Max worth a staggering £10,000 to mark his Kopa Trophy triumph at the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
Yamal, hailed as the best U21 player on the planet, made headlines with his record-breaking exploits.
From winning Euro 2024 with Spain to becoming a vital part of Barcelona’s squad, the Spanish prodigy has rewritten football history at lightning speed.
Raphinha, who now wears the captain’s armband, decided it was time to reward the youngster’s extraordinary year with a touch of gold, literally.
The 27-year-old former Leeds striker also got himself a personalized piece.
Raphinha inspired by Messi’s gesture in the World Cup
If this lavish gift looks familiar, it’s because Raphinha appears to be following in the glittering footsteps of Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner gifted gold iPhones to his Argentina teammates and coaching staff following their 2022 World Cup victory, spending a staggering £175,000 on 35 personalized phones.
Clearly inspired, Raphinha took a page from Messi’s playbook to celebrate Yamal’s historic feat.
Meanwhile, Yamal was reportedly stunned by the gesture and showed off his new golden tech toy to his friends and family.
