At first glance, he could easily be mistaken for Spain and Barcelona star Lamine Yamal arriving in Kerala. The face, hairstyle and smile bear an uncanny resemblance to the football sensation. But a closer look reveals that this is Kerala’s own ‘Yamal’ — 15-year-old Allen James from Chakkuvally in Kollam.
Allen has now become a local social media sensation, with his striking resemblance to Yamal drawing widespread attention. Although people had pointed out the similarity earlier, a video featuring Allen, filmed and shared by block panchayat member and vlogger Nikhil Manohar, brought the resemblance to a much wider audience, as reported by ANI and published by Lokmat Times and The Tribune.
Videos of Allen wearing a Yamal jersey further fuelled the interest. One of the videos posted by Manohar has garnered more than 14 million views on Instagram, according to reports. The Instagram reel of Manohar featuring Allen wearing a Yamal jersey received widespread attention as it crossed 14 million views.
But Allen’s connection with football goes beyond his appearance. A Class 10 student of Peruvazhi Government High School, he is an active member of his school football team and plays in defence. While Yamal is known for his attacking exploits, Allen prefers to operate in the defensive line. Yamal plays as forward and right winger, while Allen prefers playing defence, as noted in The Tribune’s report.
Football runs in the family, with his brother also playing the sport. Allen is a passionate fan of Lionel Messi and Argentina, even though he has developed a special admiration for Yamal. “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. I would love to receive a message from Yamal. People in my locality are very happy. I also hear jokes and comments on social media, but I don’t take them seriously,” Allen said, as quoted by ANI and published by Lokmat Times.
The sudden social media attention has brought a noticeable change in Allen’s life. From having around 200 followers on social media, his following has now crossed 20,000 (with The Tribune reporting it as 37.7K followers on one platform). He is also being invited to local events as a guest, with people eager to meet Kerala’s lookalike of the Spanish star.
Allen’s brother also plays football, and his family has been supportive. The similar look of Yamal boosted Allen’s social media followers from 200 to 37.7K, according to The Tribune. He also started receiving invitations to local events where people are keen to meet the teenager known for his resemblance to Yamal.
Locals described him as a “state-owned Yamal,” as per The Tribune report. Allen told ANI, “I suddenly became noticed around the World Cup.” The people pointed this out to Allen before, but he went viral after the Chakkuvally village panchayat member and vlogger Nikhil Manohar filmed him and shared the video online.
Allen’s story highlights how a simple resemblance can catapult an ordinary schoolboy into the spotlight, blending his love for football with newfound fame.