Goal celebrations can say more about a player than the goal itself. Some become tiny pieces of soccer history that fans remember for decades. One recent tribute has fans talking because it looked so familiar.
Lamine Yamal is the young Spanish and Barcelona star behind that tribute. He copied a very famous pose from a true legend of the game. Fans immediately asked the same simple question about his reason.
The answer connects two eras of soccer and two proud clubs. It also shows how admiration passes from one generation to the next. That is exactly what makes this tribute so interesting to talk about.
The moment Yamal struck Henry’s pose
Spain hosted Croatia in Seville on Tuesday, September 29. Lamine Yamal scored early and then ran toward the corner. He leaned on the flag and held a calm pose for the cameras and the crowd.
Many viewers instantly knew the pose from old Arsenal highlights. Thierry Henry used it often for both Arsenal and France. The tribute felt both playful and respectful to longtime soccer fans watching around the world.
Spain dominated the match, winning 4-1. Yamal was impressive, scoring in the 2nd and 63rd minutes. Pubill added another goal in the 31st minute, while Williams secured the victory with a late strike in the 89th.
What Yamal said after the game
Yamal was asked about the pose right after the final whistle that night. He called Henry “a reference” and said he liked the celebration a lot. He added that he wanted to do it himself.
Yamal gave a longer answer to DAZN in the mixed zone afterward. He said he watched many of Henry’s matches and loved his movement. To Yamal, Henry made hard things look simple on the field.
The pose dominated the headlines, but the match was remarkable for the home side. Yamal contributed to the first three Spain goals, enhancing the significance of the tribute and making the victory even sweeter.
Why Henry remains a hero for Yamal
Henry joined Barcelona in 2007 and played three seasons at Camp Nou. He scored 49 goals in 121 games. He also won seven major trophies, including a Champions League and the famous sextuple of 2008/09.
Henry also starred at Arsenal and became the club’s all-time leading scorer. He won the Premier League Golden Boot four times during his eight seasons. He captained the club for his final two seasons.
Henry and Yamal also developed a connection before this celebration. After Barcelona’s 3–3 draw with Inter Milan in April 2025, the two agreed to exchange jerseys. They fulfilled that promise after Barcelona’s 4–3 Clásico victory over Real Madrid in May 2025.
Yamal dominates Croatia after Wembley heroics
Yamal also scored early against England days earlier. His Wembley goal came after 104 seconds, and RFEF said his Croatia opener came even faster, after just 70 seconds.
Sofascore gave Yamal a near-perfect 9.9 rating for his performance against Croatia. He touched the ball 60 times, completed 28 of 37 passes, and carried the ball 21 times, including 7 progressive carries.
Croatia briefly fought back before halftime. Dion Beljo equalized in the 28th minute, but Marc Pubill restored Spain’s lead 3 minutes later. Spain led 2-1 at the break before pulling away in the second half.
The numbers behind Spain’s strong performance
Spain enjoyed 64% possession while Croatia managed 36% of the ball. The world champions also extended their unbeaten run to 40 matches with the 4-1 victory in Seville.
Spain fired 16 shots while Croatia managed 5 attempts. Sofascore also credited Spain with 568 accurate passes to Croatia’s 296, showing how firmly the hosts controlled the match.
Henry’s famous pose lives on today
Arsenal placed a bronze statue of Henry outside Emirates Stadium. It captures his kneeling celebration after a goal against Tottenham in November 2002. The statue does not show the corner-flag pose.
Henry grew emotional during the unveiling. Arsenal unveiled the statue on Dec. 9, 2011, as part of the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations.
Yamal is not the first player to recreate Henry’s corner-flag celebration. Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon did it after scoring in a 2-0 EFL Cup semifinal victory over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in January 2025.
Little-known fact: Henry led France to silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Spain won the final 5-3 in extra time, and Henry said it was the first time he had lost a final but still won a medal.
Yamal now chases the Ballon d’Or
Yamal finished last season with 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 matches overall. He also played for Spain’s World Cup-winning team in 2026, adding another major achievement to his rapid rise.
Those numbers strengthened his case as one of soccer’s brightest young stars. He had already been central to Spain’s 2025 Nations League run, scoring twice against France in a 5-4 semifinal win.
This tribute also hints at a bigger story. Yamal looks comfortable carrying huge expectations at only 19 years old. Fans will watch closely this season to see what he tries next for club and country.
Records keep falling around this teenager
Yamal became Spain’s youngest international in September 2023 at 16 years and 57 days old. He then scored in the same match against Georgia, making him the youngest goal scorer in Spain’s history.
In June 2025, Yamal scored twice in a thrilling 5-4 win over France. The Nations League semifinal became the highest-scoring match in the competition’s history, and UEFA named Yamal Player of the Match.
His current form is just as striking. Against Croatia, he scored twice and assisted another goal, earning a 9.9 Sofascore rating after directly contributing to Spain’s first 3 goals.
TL;DR
- Yamal copied Thierry Henry’s corner flag pose after scoring against Croatia.
- He said Henry is a reference and that he wanted to do it himself.
- He also praised Henry for making hard things look simple.
- Spain won 4-1, and Yamal scored twice.
- Henry won seven trophies at Barcelona and starred for Arsenal.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
