"Daily Sports" reported that on the eve of the El Clasico, Barcelona attacker Yamal became the absolute focus of public opinion, and his influence has exceeded the stadium itself, triggering a phenomenon called "Yamal Fever" in Madrid. According to observations, the rise of the 18-year-old is bringing about an "intergenerational break."

Yamal’s previous remarks about Real Madrid’s “robbery” caused huge controversy. Old-school journalist Roberto Gomez even asked for the "anti-violence committee to intervene", saying that "Madridistas will not forget" this sentence. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also hit back hard after the midweek game, saying that Laporta mentioned the "White Hand" only in response to the Negreira case, and denied that Real Madrid was favored by the referee.

However, while Yamal has caused controversy, its popularity has also reached an astonishing level. The report pointed out that since the 2024 European Cup, the Spanish national team jerseys with Yamal 19 printed on them have become a "big hit" in sales and can be seen everywhere on campuses and streets in Madrid.

There are even children wearing the jersey of Real Madrid's new aid Heizen, imitating Yamal's "Crown" celebration after scoring a goal, and singing "For better or worse, Yamal!" A Real Madrid fan father said that although he only likes Yamal when he plays for the national team, he also understands his children's love for him. In Madrid's multicultural community, especially the large Latin American community, the "Yamal phenomenon" has also taken deep roots. A middle-aged man wearing a Messi Barcelona jersey praised Yamal for "eliminating the inferiority complex in Barcelona's traditional thinking."

This phenomenon is seen as a manifestation of the younger generation looking for new idols after Messi and Ronaldo left Europe. The article pointed out that young people who now play in the pink jersey of Inter Miami or the yellow jersey of Riyadh Victory put the star's personal brand above the club, and Yamal is the new idol of Generation Z and Generation Alpha.

Of course, not everyone likes Yamal. The report mentioned that many older Real Madrid fans accused him of "achieving nothing" and being "overconfident". Interestingly, this group has also criticized Vinicius' behavior in the past, but now believes that Vinicius has succeeded in "driving his opponents crazy more than they drive him crazy."

The article concluded that regardless of the controversy, the duel between Yamal and Vinicius will ensure that the national derby remains popular, although both sides may want to downplay it for fear of losing.