Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has vowed to bring the Champions League title back to the Catalan club, ending their 11-year drought after their elimination from the 2025-26 edition at the hands of Atlético Madrid.
The 18-year-old opened the scoring against Atlético Madrid, but couldn’t prevent Los Rojiblancos from progressing with a 3-2 aggregate score.
Yamal’s frustration was palpable, especially after his best efforts in the comeback attempt. The following day, he posted a message to Barcelona fans on his Instagram account.
“We gave it our all, but it wasn’t enough,” Yamal said. “This is just one step on the road: to reach the top you have to climb, and we know it won’t be easy, and no one will make it easy for us. But giving up is not an option.”
He added, “We have many reasons to be excited, and we will strive to achieve our goals with all our might. Every mistake is a lesson, and have no doubt that we will learn from each one.”
He concluded, “We are Barcelona, and we will return to where we belong. My parents taught me that a man’s word is his bond… and we will bring it (the trophy) back to Barcelona.”
This is only Yamal’s third appearance in the Champions League, following his debut with Xavi Hernandez two seasons ago, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals, and his participation in last year’s edition, where they lost in the semifinals to Inter Milan in extra time.
