Neither boots nor jersey: How Lamine Yamal unintentionally boosted underwear sales after the World Cup final

The unexpected detail of Yamal's uniform that ended up being a commercial success.

Moments before Lamine Yamal lifted the World Cup with Spain, the 19-year-old rising star had already been at the center of one of the tournament’s most unexpected commercial phenomena.

The Barcelona forward accidentally boosted sales of an underwear brand after millions of viewers saw the company's logo on his boxers.

The unexpected Lamine Yamal effect

The young footballer repeatedly showed the waistband of his underwear during the match against Argentina, where they claimed the title after a 1-0 victory. After the match ended, he lay down on the grass, once again leaving the logo of his underwear brand visible, without imagining that this gesture would end up becoming a commercial success.

What seemed like a casual gesture after the exhaustion of the match that went into extra time ended up becoming an unexpected advertising campaignfor the German company 6PM, created in 2016 by entrepreneur of Moroccan roots Achraf Ait Bouzalim. The scene, seen by millions of people around the world, sent sales soaring.

The impact was immediate. As initially reported, after the final, demand for 6PM underwear skyrocketed, boosting sales. However, although there were initial reports of stock running out, the two-pack remains available on the brand's online store for 30 euros, according to Euro News.

Like Yamal himself, the brand projects a "young, multicultural, and international" image. Since its inception, it has become one of the most popular streetwear brands among hip-hop and urban culture fans, collaborating with artists such as Reezy, Stickle, and Luciano, as the publication revealed.

That diversity is also part of the footballer's story. Although his parents are separated, his mother, Sheila Ebena, is originally from Equatorial Guinea, while his father, Mounir Nasraoui, is originally from Morocco. They decided to name him Lamine Yamal in tribute to two neighbors who gave them support and financial help during that time.

After the World Cup final, the brand shared 11 photos of Lamine on its official Instagram account from the match against Argentina and throughout the tournament wearing its underwear:

"WE’RE NOT SAYING THEY MAKE YOU SCORE BETTER, BUT CONGRATS @lamineyamal ON WINNING THE 2026 WORLD CUP WITH LA ROJA," they wrote in reference to the underwear.

The episode demonstrates, once again, the enormous impact that major sports figures can have on consumption and trends with a simple gesture.

Without the need for an official announcement or a planned strategy, a detail of Lamine Yamal's uniform was enough to turn an item of underwear into a global sales phenomenon.