Lamine Yamal will no longer sign autographs or jerseys with Barça!

The world of sports is immensely lucrative, and in the case of football, the sponsorship contracts that clubs and players have access to are increasingly surprising. Lamine Yamal understands very well how the business works, and at 18 years old, he is already the most valuable football player in the world, and as such, he hopes to obtain the maximum possible dividends from his career.

In that sense, the Mataró native, advised by his representatives, has made a surprising and controversial decision, emulating other world sports stars. The Barça '10' will no longer sign autographs or Barça or Spanish national team jerseys. At least not for free.

This is how Lamine Yamal's new autograph will work

Lamine Yamal offers his second Kopa Trophy to the Barça fans

In the medium term, Lamine's idea aims to patent his signature, allowing culé fans and his followers globally to acquire all kinds of merchandising with his logo and official signature through an online platform, upon payment. This, with the aim of increasing the value of his personal brand.

Yamal has already signed contracts with Adidas, Konami, Visa, Oppo, Beats, and other brands, in addition to being a Unicef ambassador, establishing himself as one of the highest-paid players on the planet. Furthermore, his new contract with Barça also guarantees him an increasing salary that makes him a franchise player for the club from 2025/26.

At the club, they understand his decision to keep autograph and jersey signing on the sidelines, although some exceptions will have to be negotiated due to internal institutional agreements.

Beyond how controversial this decision may be, Rocafonda's man retains his simplicity and friendly treatment of the fans and the press. Business, however, is another matter, and every decision counts in the medium and long term.

Lamine Yamal Follows in the Footsteps of Other NBA Stars

Although the decision to charge for autographs is not common in Spanish football, it is much more normal in the United States. NBA stars such as LeBron James or Stephen Curry, whose fortunes exceed 1,000 and 200 million euros, respectively, already implement this method to ensure the value of their signature.

Soon, Lamine Yamal is likely to announce an agreement with a company specializing in the marketing of merchandise for global sports stars. The reign of the Barça '10' is just beginning, with a trajectory that continues to break records not only for his performance on the field, but also financially.

• Discover more records, statistics, and curiosities in our Lamine Yamal Data Center, a unique space to follow the evolution of the Barcelona star