Lamine Yamal finally lifts lid on why he wears a hand bandage despite having no injury

Lamine Yamal has sported a bandage on his hand for almost 16 months after suffering an unfortunate injury while playing PlayStation, but why does he continue to wear it?

It has become part of Yamal’s matchday routine.

Back in February last year, fans expressed concern after the teenager turned up to Barcelona's training facility in Sant Joan Despí with a white bandage on his right hand, as well as strapping on two of his fingers.

However, a medical report was not issued by Barca and the player started their next La Liga game, a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.

So, what happened? More than a year later, the mystery behind Yamal's decision to persist with the heavy dressing has been solved after he explained why Karim Benzema was partly responsible for the look.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Yamal said: "I bandage it because, while playing PlayStation, I hit the TV and smashed my fingers; they swelled up a lot."

Yamal has sported the bandage since February 2025. Image credit: Getty

He decided to keep the unique look as a tribute to former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. "From then on, I bandaged them, and the bandage felt really good, like I was Karim Benzema," he added.

"We did the KB9 joke, and I just kept it on, and it looks great, I think, so I’m keeping it."

Why did Karim Benzema wear a bandage on his hand?

Back in January 2019, Benzema fractured the little finger of his right hand in a game against Real Betis and was advised to undergo surgery to fix the issue.

He decided against surgery, which would have ruled him out for around two months, and proceeded to wear a bandage for Madrid's clash against Leganes in the Copa del Rey.

Benzema went on to score goals in four games, and the rest is history. He went under the knife in the summer of 2019 but a lack of rehab stopped his finger from fully healing.

To avoid further injury, he continues to wear the bandage to this day.

"I did have an operation, but when you have surgery you have to be out for two months," he said in 2021. "I've hurt [the finger] again, but I don’t have time to stop and have another operation, so I wear the bandage when I'm playing."

Karim Benzema also wears a bandage. Image credit: Getty

Lamine Yamal makes two promises to fans ahead of World Cup

Ahead of Spain's friendly win over Peru on Monday night, Yamal took part in a Q&A session on his YouTube channel.

Here, he was asked what promises he would follow through with if Spain lifted the World Cup for a second time, with the first involving his facial hair.

"I promise that if I win the World Cup, I’ll grow a full beard and moustache for (cameraman says ‘one year’)… A whole year?! Three weeks," he smiled.

Yamal also promised to give away 100 pairs of Beats by Dre headphones, which can retail at around £350 per pair. "I promise that if I win the World Cup, I’ll raffle 100 Beats," he added.