Couple Goals? Lamine Yamal confirms romance with new girlfriend 7 years older than him

Barcelona’s 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal appears to have made his relationship with Argentine star Nicki Nicole Instagram-official, and he chose her birthday to do it. 

In a photo posted to his Instagram Stories on Monday August 25, the pair are pictured shoulder-to-shoulder at a candle-lit table strewn with rose petals, a ribbon-trimmed cake between them and heart-shaped balloons in the background. 

Yamal, in a sharp black shirt and gold jewellery, has an arm affectionately around Nicole's hips.

The singer stunned in a cut-out dress, bold red lipstick and two-tone hair. 

It is the clearest public signal yet that the rumours are over and they are officially a couple.

If there was any doubt about the seven-year age gap, that’s simple maths: Nicole was born on August 25, 2000 and Yamal on July 13, 2007 – placing them at 25 and 18 respectively today. 

The Instagram moment caps off another impressive weekend for the Barça No 10 who has been dazzling on the pitch this season.

After lighting up matchday 2 in La Liga, forcing an own goal in Barca’s comeback victory against Levante, the teenager’s decision to go public on a partner’s milestone birthday sort of feels deliberate.

The breadcrumb trail began last month.

Pulse Sports reported that Yamal and Nicole shared a kiss at a beachside nightclub in the early hours of 24 July, days after the footballer’s lavish, 'mafia-themed' 18th birthday party in Garraf. 

And then weeks ago, the internet was seriously buzzing following Nicole’s Barcelona cameo during the Joan Gamper Trophy final against Como. 

The Rosario singer and her three companions were pictured wearing Lamine's no.10 jerseys, and they sat in the VIP on the same row with Yamal’s family, including his mother Sheila Ebana and his cousin Mohamed Abde, and just in front of Cesc Fabregas’ wife Daniella Seeman - who was also spotted from the stands.

The intrigue only deepened when Yamal was spotted with what fans claimed was a lock-screen photo of Nicole on his phone, just before the fixture which Barca won 4-0.

And in another Instagram video days later, Yamal appeared to deliberately flaunt the singer as his lock screen during a hair treatment session, confirming the suspicion of thousands of fans. 

On Tuesday last week, Yamal and Nicole were filmed strolling the streets of Monte-Carlo on what looked every inch like a lowkey getaway in Monaco.

Spanish and international outlets amplified the clips, and within days Yamal and Nicole were photographed arriving together at Barcelona’s private terminal after what was widely described as a two-night stay on the Riviera.

Photographs of the pair arriving together quickly went viral, with many fans noting they looked “worse for wear” after the glamorous escape.

According to gossip outlets, the pair dined together at the Maybourne Riviera, famed for sky-high suites.

Rooms at the Riviera start from around $1,100 per night.

However, as at the time of this report, neither Yamal nor Nicole have officially confirmed they are dating.

But the latest birthday celebration appears to have finally bought fans over.

For those outside the Latin music circuit, Nicki Nicole may have only entered the spotlight through football gossip, but she is a powerhouse in her own right.

Born Nicole Denise Cucco in Rosario, Argentina, she rose to fame in 2019 with her breakout single Wapo Traketero, which quickly went viral and announced her as one of the leading voices of Argentina’s trap and urban music wave. 

The singer, who boasts 22 million followers on Instagram alone, has since released chart-topping albums, collaborated with stars like Bizarrap and Mora, and earned a Latin Grammy nomination, cementing her reputation across Latin America and beyond.

She famously dated Argentine rapper Trueno, and later went public with Mexican chart-topper Peso Pluma before their 2024 split.

Last year, she was also briefly linked to Chelsea’s Argentine midfield maestro Enzo Fernandez, following his brief split from Valentina Cervantes.