Young male footballer in Spain No. 19 red kit and orange-banded sunglasses holds the FIFA World Cup trophy alongside a smiling young woman in a Spain jersey on the pitch.
REUTERS/Mike Segar

Lamine Yamal Dedicated His First World Cup Goal to His Girlfriend, Seville Influencer Inés García, Weeks Before Spain Beat Argentina Tonight to Win the Whole Thing

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“I dedicate the goal to my mother, my girlfriend, to my friends and everyone back at home in Mataró.” — Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal and girlfriend Inés García embrace on the pitch after Spain's FIFA World Cup 2026 Final victory over Argentina
At New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026, Inés García joins Spain’s Lamine Yamal in marking the team’s 2026 World Cup Final victory against Argentina. Photo by Alex Pantling / FIFA via Getty Images.

Spain won its second World Cup tonight, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium. The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 38 matches and made it the first country to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup titles at the same time.

Weeks earlier, after Spain’s 4-0 group-stage win over Saudi Arabia, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal dedicated his first World Cup goal to the people closest to him.

Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final on July 19, 2026, Spain and Argentina meet on the pitch. Photo by Mike Segar / Reuters.

“[I dedicate the goal] to my mother, my girlfriend, to my friends and everyone back at home in Mataró,” he told DAZN.

Yamal had opened the scoring in the 10th minute, sliding in at the far post to finish a Mikel Oyarzabal cross. At 18 years and 343 days old, he became Spain’s second-youngest World Cup scorer after Gavi.

Lamine Yamal taking a selfie with his girlfriend Inés García after Spain won the 2026 World Cup final
After Spain’s 2026 World Cup final victory over Argentina, Lamine Yamal snaps a selfie with girlfriend Inés García at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19. Photo by Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images.

The girlfriend he mentioned is Inés García Santos, known online as Inés García, a 21-year-old content creator from Seville. She runs @ineesgaarcia on Instagram, where she has more than 1 million followers, and @inesitii on TikTok, where she has around 1.5 million. Her content focuses on outfits, skincare, travel and daily life. She already had an established fashion and beauty audience before the relationship became public, though her following rose sharply afterward.

Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final on July 19, 2026, Spain and Argentina meet on the pitch. Photo by Mike Segar / Reuters.

The two met online, according to García. She has addressed the subject several times, including in a TikTok she later deleted, saying people keep inventing romantic stories about how they met. One viral version claimed her card was declined while buying snacks and Yamal stepped in to pay. García laughed off the story and said the truth was much simpler: they connected through DMs and talked for months before meeting in person.

She has also said they knew each other longer than the public timeline suggested, describing it as “not quite three years, but a good deal more months than people realize.”

Rumors about the relationship began in spring 2026, after they were seen holding hands during a trip to Greece. They later appeared together at a Bad Bunny concert in Barcelona. Their public debut came in May at Barcelona’s end-of-season celebration dinner following the club’s domestic treble. They arrived together, left holding hands and were featured on Barça’s own Instagram account.

García remained highly visible throughout the World Cup. She wore Yamal’s jersey in the stands, posted messages including “Vamos mi amorrrr,” shared videos celebrating his goals and traveled with him across North America. The couple was also photographed getting late-night halal cart food in New York. Tonight, she was at MetLife Stadium as Spain lifted the trophy.

The relationship has been relatively low-drama, though it has not escaped online rumors. Shortly after they went public, gossip accounts claimed García had left a boyfriend of about five years for Yamal. She denied the claim and said she had never been in that relationship.

Some commenters have also accused her of using the relationship for attention because of her follower growth. Her defenders note that she already had a sizable audience and an established career before she was linked to Yamal.

Before García, Yamal’s dating life attracted frequent attention. He was linked to Spanish influencer Alex Padilla around Euro 2024 and later criticized over a Sicily trip with OnlyFans model Fati Vázquez when he was 17. He also denied claims involving adult performer Claudia Bavel and had a brief, more public relationship with Argentine singer Nicki Nicole in 2025.

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Lamine Yamal and girlfriend Inés García embrace on the pitch after Spain's FIFA World Cup 2026 Final victory over Argentina
At New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026, Inés García joins Spain's Lamine Yamal in marking the team's 2026 World Cup Final victory against Argentina. Photo by Alex Pantling FIFA via Getty Images.
Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final on July 19, 2026, Spain and Argentina meet on the pitch. Photo by Mike Segar Reuters.
Lamine Yamal taking a selfie with his girlfriend Inés García after Spain won the 2026 World Cup final
After Spain's 2026 World Cup final victory over Argentina, Lamine Yamal snaps a selfie with girlfriend Inés García at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19. Photo by Charly Triballeau AFP via Getty Images.
Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final on July 19, 2026, Spain and Argentina meet on the pitch. Photo by Mike Segar Reuters.
Lamine Yamal in Spain kit and orange sunglasses with a World Cup medal, standing next to a person wearing a jersey printed with his name.
REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Young woman with red and yellow face paint standing next to a young man in a Spain jersey holding an open pizza box after a football match.
FRANCK FIFE AFP via Getty Images
Ferran Torres in Spain's red kit leaping in celebration as teammates in pink training bibs sprint toward him on a football pitch.
David Ramos Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Princess Sofía holding the golden FIFA World Cup trophy surrounded by celebrating Spain players and Princess Leonor at the post-match award ceremony.
Carl Recine Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Lamine Yamal shaking hands with Donald Trump while Gianni Infantino stands between them with an arm around the player at the FIFA World Cup ceremony.
FRANCK FIFE AFP via Getty Images
Donald Trump placing a gold FIFA World Cup 2026 medal over a Spain player wearing number 13, with Gianni Infantino smiling beside them.
Justin Setterfield Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Two young boys wearing Spain's red number 19 jerseys celebrate on a football pitch, one smiling broadly and the other with his arm around the other's shoulder.
Carl Recine Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
A young woman in a Spain Lamine Yamal jersey and jeans looks up at a footballer wearing a number 19 Spain kit on a football pitch after a match.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU AFP via Getty Images
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About the author

January Nelson

January Nelson

January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. She writes about astrology, games, love, relationships, and entertainment. January graduated with an English and Literature degree from Columbia University.