(NLDO) – Just a few hours after helping Barcelona defeat Levante in La Liga, Lamine Yamal shared a photo with rapper Nicki Nicole, causing a stir on social media.

Argentine Latin star Nicki Nicole, who is seven years older than Lamine Yamal, appears to have only known the Barcelona star since his 18th birthday in July. The budding romance has been dominating the Spanish tabloid press for weeks, but has now been made official by “insiders”.

Lamine Yamal goes public with his relationship with rapper Nicki Nicole

On her Instagram page with 37.6 million followers, Lamine Yamal posted a photo of herself with Nicki Nicole on her 25th birthday. The two posed together with a cake and love heart symbols all over the cake, on flower petals, a bouquet of roses, and pink balloons, showing that the couple wanted to officially announce their new relationship.

Nicole has been nominated for eight awards at the Latin Grammy Awards.

Nicki Nicole previously dated Latin singer Peso Pluma, but the two announced their split last year after Pluma was spotted with another woman in Las Vegas.

Nicki Nicole’s “ex” singer Peso Pluma

Yamal’s 18th birthday party is still remembered in the most negative light. Yamal is said to have invited dwarfs (a practice that is illegal under Spanish law) to entertain at the party, not to mention the presence of 12 blonde women “with specific bust measurements” who were paid to attend. Human rights and disability groups have called for an investigation into the “wild” party.

Not only known for his football talent since he was not yet 18 years old, Yamal has also been constantly involved in scandals, including an incident involving a member of the OnlyFans modeling group. Yamal is said to have had a relationship with Fati Vazquez, a 30-year-old social media star and a character on an adult entertainment website.

Yamal is rumored to be in a relationship with “sister” Fati Vazquez, who is 12 years older.

The two were suspected of vacationing together. Fati Vazquez was criticized online for “seducing a minor” and the relationship seemed “exploitative”. She was so pressured that she threatened to sue those who had falsely accused her.

Regarding his relationship with Nicky Nicole, Yamal initially shared a photo on social media with a lipstick mark of a kiss on his cheek. Nicole later posted a portrait photo with a similar red kiss on her cheek.

“They apparently kissed a few days after Yamal’s controversial 18th birthday party,” tabloid writer Javi Hoyos shared. “Nicole said that at Lamine Yamal’s birthday party, they didn’t go too far, just flirted. A few weeks later, they both went to a beach club and left together at 4am.”

The incident has worried Barcelona’s board. They understand that a prodigy like Yamal needs to be protected from media pressure and tangled relationships off the pitch. Yamal’s talent is undeniable, but his private life can become an obstacle if not controlled in time.