“He’s in your pocket” - Fan makes hilarious claim about Lamine Yamal after meeting Nuno Mendes, video emerges

Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal recently found himself at the center of a light-hearted and hilarious fan moment following an encounter with Portugal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) left-back Nuno Mendes.

During the Nations League final between Portugal and Spain, Mendes had the responsibility of battling Yamal. Continuing his impressive form in the 2024-25 campaign, the PSG player did what other defenders have struggled to do over the past twelve months: he completely nullified Yamal’s threat, rendering him ineffective until the 17-year-old was substituted in the second half of the additional thirty minutes.

A video recently surfaced online and went viral. In the video, Mendes was seen disembarking from an aircraft, and someone in the crowd couldn’t resist reminding the Portuguese defender of how he kept Yamal under wraps throughout the encounter. The unknown individual said (via Al-Nassr Zone’s X handle):

“Where is Yamal? He’s in your pocket”

Regardless of the humbling experience Lamine Yamal had in the Nations League, he still remains a strong contender for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. He concluded the 2024-25 campaign with Barcelona, notching 43 goal contributions in 55 appearances across competitions.

Nuno Mendes took pleasure in canceling out Lamine Yamal after Portugal’s Nations League triumph over Spain

While Nuno Mendes has established himself as one of the best players currently in his position, he understands the qualities that Lamine Yamal possesses. After the match, he reveled in the fact that he made the La Masia graduate ineffective, which contributed to Portugal winning their second Nations League title.

He said (via ESPN):

"It was a clash [with Yamal] like many others I have had during the season," Mendes said. "I have faced up to many great players, very technically skilled players who can make a difference, but today I cancelled out Lamine and [did] not let him do what he does best.

"This helped the team and I am happy I helped the team to win this trophy. It's all about being consistent. I have played many good games and it's about the work I do individually and with the coaches at PSG and Portugal.

Lamine Yamal and Nuno Mendes’ Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammates, are currently two strong contenders to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. The Portuguese left-back threw his weight behind the Frenchman for the award, saying:

"The Ballon d'Or? I play with Ousmane [Dembele] and he had a wonderful season, Lamine also had a wonderful season. But Ousmane will be in the Club World Cup and Lamine won't, so I'm very happy for Ousmane. He had a lot of injuries at Barca before arriving at PSG, but he is an amazing player. I like him very much as a player and a man. I wish him the best for the Ballon d'Or and I and his teammates will help him get there."