I usually play Afrobeats - Lamine Yamal reveals love for Nigerian music after joining Lionel Messi as Beats by Dre ambassador

Spanish football prodigy Lamine Yamal has added a major brand to his already glittering endorsement portfolio, signing with Apple-owned headphones giant Beats by Dre.

Already touted as the next big thing in world football, the Blaugrana wonderkid now extends well beyond the pitch, and into the music scene.

Yamal, who became a regular for Barcelona before even turning 16, has already sparked comparisons to club legend Lionel Messi. 

The parallels are hard to ignore: both emerged from La Masia, dazzled fans as teenage wingers, and now, both serve as global ambassadors for Beats by Dre.

The connection was made even more personal when an old photo resurfaced of Messi holding Yamal as a baby, a surreal reminder of the generational baton now being passed.

Chris Thorne, Beats’ Chief Marketing Officer, praised the new signing, saying: “Having Lamine as part of the Beats family is a huge honour… he creates magic on the pitch and we know music is another huge passion for him.”

Known as the “DJ of the locker room”, the Barça forward revealed, “It depends on the day. I’m always switching up rhythms and artists. I usually play rap, trap, and Afrobeats.” 

His fondness for Nigerian music has become something of a talking point, especially after a viral moment helped revive a forgotten gem.

Yamal’s love for Nigerian music was on full display when he and teammates Nico Williams and Samu Omorodion danced to Skales’ 2015 hit “Shake Body” in a spontaneous clip that set social media alight. 

The video sparked the #ShakeBodyChallenge and sent Skales' streaming numbers skyrocketing across Europe.

The buzz didn’t go unnoticed. 

Pulse Sports also reported Skales later met with the Barcelona squad, and even club president Joan Laporta, during celebrations in Seville after defeating Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final.

With Barcelona out of the Champions League but still leading LaLiga, all eyes will be on Yamal when the Catalan giants face Real Madrid again on May 11, in the final El Clasico of the 2024/25 season.