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Spain·Football

Yamal draws on LeBron James and Neymar to fuel Barcelona's Champions League comeback bid

Tuesday, 14 April 2026, 10:17 · 1 min read

Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal has turned to basketball and football icons for motivation ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Atletico Madrid, where his side must overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit. The 17-year-old changed his Instagram profile picture to an image of LeBron James lifting the NBA trophy after Cleveland's historic 3-1 series comeback in 2016, and cited Brazilian star Neymar's role in Barcelona's famous 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 as further inspiration. The result matters beyond club pride: the winner will face either Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon (the Portuguese capital's second-largest club) in the semifinals, keeping alive hopes of a first European title for either Spanish side in years.

Sources
Al Jazeera EnglishYamal seeks inspiration from LeBron, Neymar for Champions League comeback ↗︎
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