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Allen James, a Class 10 student from Chakkuvally in Kollam, had often been told that he looked like the Spanish football sensation. But the resemblance reached a much wider audience after block panchayat member and vlogger Nikhil Manohar filmed and shared a video of him, according to an ANI report.

Allen’s face, hairstyle and smile closely resembled Yamal’s, and videos of him wearing the footballer’s jersey only made the similarity more noticeable. One of Manohar’s Instagram videos featuring Allen had crossed 14 million views.

But Allen had more in common with Yamal than just his appearance. He was an active member of his school football team at Peruvazhi Government High School and played as a defender, although Yamal was known for his attacking role.

Football had also been a family affair for Allen, with his brother playing the sport as well. Despite his newfound admiration for Yamal, Allen remained a huge fan of Lionel Messi and Argentina.

The sudden attention had transformed his social media presence. According to ANI, Allen had around 200 followers before the video went viral, but that number had since crossed 20,000. He had also begun receiving invitations to local events, where people wanted to meet Kerala’s own Yamal lookalike.

Watch the video here:#WATCH | Kollam, Keralam | 15-year-old schoolboy Allen James from Chakkuvally goes viral for his uncanny resemblance to Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal. pic.twitter.com/5buBZgJGqA— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2026

“Many people have been telling me since long ago that I look like Yamal, but I never really paid much attention to it. I suddenly became noticed around the World Cup. After the video went viral, my life changed,” Allen told ANI.

He added that he would love to receive a message from Yamal and said people in his locality had been happy about his newfound popularity. While some social media users had also made jokes and trolling comments about his appearance, Allen said he did not take them seriously.

“I have been playing football since childhood. I prefer playing in defence. I like Yamal, but Messi and Argentina are my favourites,” he added.

For Allen, the viral fame had turned something people had casually pointed out for years into an unexpected brush with the spotlight. Now, the young footballer had just one big wish - to hear from the real Lamine Yamal himself.- EndsPublished By: Published On: Sep 1, 2026 20:40 IST