Barcelona star Lamine Yamal’s 18th birthday party has sparked controversy after it emerged that entertainers with dwarfism were hired for the celebration — a move criticised by disability rights groups and now under investigation by Spanish authorities.
The party, held last Saturday in Olivella, near Barcelona, was a lavish affair attended by teammates Gavi and Alejandro Balde, as well as music stars like Dominican rapper Chimbala and Spanish singer Bad Gyal. The mafia-themed event featured live performances and, notably, a group of individuals with dwarfism hired as part of the entertainment.
Footage of the entertainers arriving at the venue drew public backlash, prompting the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE) to file a formal complaint, calling the move degrading and discriminatory. The group said such portrayals reinforce harmful stereotypes and violate the dignity of people with disabilities.
In response, Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights has asked the prosecutor’s office to investigate whether any laws were breached or rights infringed upon.
However, one of the entertainers involved has publicly defended the event, calling the outrage misplaced and harmful to their profession. Speaking anonymously on RAC1, a Catalan radio station, the performer insisted the party was respectful and that the controversy is being driven by media sensationalism.
“No one disrespected us. We worked peacefully,” the performer said. “We are normal people doing what we love. It’s a legal job.”
He accused ADEE of attempting to shut down their work without offering viable alternatives, arguing that such actions hurt those they claim to defend.
“They are the ones humiliating us,” he said. “We are not fairground monkeys. We dance, serve drinks, do magic — it’s entertainment, and we know our limits.”
He also suggested internal politics within ADEE, including a new leadership, could be influencing the group’s aggressive stance.
According to the performer, four individuals with dwarfism worked the event for about an hour and later joined the party like other guests. “The uproar is only because it was Lamine Yamal’s party,” he argued.
Meanwhile, Dominican rapper Chimbala shared a clip of his performance alongside Yamal on Instagram, calling the young forward the “best player in the world” and thanking him for the invite.
Yamal, who turned 18 on July 13, has not commented publicly. The Barcelona prodigy is one of the hottest talents in world football, having already played over 100 matches for the club and helped them win a domestic treble last season. He is also a frontrunner for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
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