Yamal sends message of solidarity after deadly Colombia earthquake

Lamine Yamal will return to FC Barcelona training on Wednesday, 12 August, after cutting short the holiday he spent in Colombia before a devastating earthquake struck the country.

The 19-year-old forward had travelled through Cartagena, the Rosario Islands and Medellin during his break. While visiting Comuna 13 in Medellin, Yamal was pictured wearing a Colombia shirt.

After arriving back in Barcelona, he learned that a 7.4-magnitude earthquake had hit Colombia on Monday. The disaster caused widespread damage across several cities and had claimed 224 lives by Tuesday afternoon, with more than 1,000 people reported injured.

Yamal responded by sending a message of support to those affected and to the families of the victims. The FC Barcelona winger wrote on his Instagram story: “Our best wishes and prayers to the Colombian people.”

The earthquake caused significant destruction in cities including Cali, Pereira and Manizales. Yamal’s holiday had taken him to several well-known locations across the country before he returned to Spain ahead of the new training schedule at FC Barcelona.

The Spain international’s visit to Comuna 13 attracted particular attention after he appeared in the colours of the Colombian national team. His public message came after the scale of the earthquake and its human cost became clear.

Yamal is due to report for training on Wednesday as he resumes preparations with FC Barcelona following his time away. The club winger’s return coincides with ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in the areas affected by the earthquake.

The death toll and injury figures were reported as of Tuesday afternoon, while the extent of the damage continued to emerge in Cali, Pereira, Manizales and other affected areas.

The story was published alongside related items about uncertainty over Lionel Messi’s return to the United States and a former Chelsea player mocking Arsenal over Vinicius Junior.