"No one disrespected us, let us work in peace," the unnamed performer told RAC1, emphasizing that Yamal did nothing wrong. "I don't understand why there's so much fuss about this. We are just normal people doing what we want, completely legally."

The group of little people arrived at Yamal's birthday party venue on 12/7.

Yamal turned 18 on 12/7. The Spanish star celebrated with family and friends at a restaurant, then moved to another venue for a larger party. He invited over 200 guests, including teammates from Barca, the Buyer Brothers, TheGrefg, SofiG, IlloJuan, and IShowSpeed.

Yamal also hired a group of little people to perform. This attracted the attention of the Spanish Association of People with Achondroplasia and other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE). They threatened legal action if the young player violated anti-discrimination laws.

The head of Spain's Disability Agency, Jesus Martin, expressed concern that Yamal's actions could influence others, as the Barca forward is seen as a role model.

However, the unnamed performer argued that the public outcry comes at a time when his work opportunities are increasingly limited.

"For several years now, these people have been harming us," he expressed. "They want to ban the work we love, and they haven't offered any jobs or training courses to those affected. We work as entertainers. Why can't we do that? Because of our physical condition?"

The performer also criticized ADEE's president: "There's a new president who feels inferior and wants to ruin the rest of us. We know our limits, and we never cross them. We are not monkeys in a fairground."

Having signed a confidentiality agreement before performing at Yamal's party, the performer couldn't share details about the event. But he revealed that their role was "dancing, serving drinks, doing magic—all kinds of performances."

Afterwards, the performers were invited to join the party. "Everyone had a great time," the performer added. "All this fuss started just because it was Yamal's party."

Yamal at his 18th birthday party.

Earlier, ADEE announced: "ADEE, a member organization of the Spanish Confederation of Physical and Organic Disability (COCEMFE), publicly condemns and denounces the hiring of little people as part of the entertainment at the recent 18th birthday party of soccer player Lamine Yamal."

The organization declared it would take legal and social action to protect the dignity of people with disabilities, arguing that these actions "not only violate current law but also violate the basic ethical values of a society oriented towards equality and respect."

Under Spanish law, performances intended to mock or denigrate people with disabilities are prohibited, with any violations punishable by fines from 700,000 to over 1 million USD.

Yamal made his professional debut at the end of the 2022-2023 season, at just 15 years old. A year later, the young star helped Spain win the Euro. In the 2024-2025 season, Yamal continued to shine, scoring 18 goals and providing 25 assists in 55 matches, helping Barca win La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Copa del Rey.

On 13/7, Yamal and his teammates returned to training. Later this month, Barca will tour Japan and South Korea in preparation for the 2025-2026 season. Their first match will be against Japanese club Vissel Kobe at Misaki Park, Kobe at 5 PM on 27/7, Hanoi time.

Hong Duy (according to Marca)