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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Entertainment
Christelle May Napiza

Who Is Lamine Yamal's Girlfriend? Inés García Santos Faces Backlash Over Claims She Left 5-Year Partner for Star

Lamine Yamal's Girlfriend Inés García Santos Breaks Her Silence (Credit: instagram: ineesgaarcia)

A viral confession that spread across football fan accounts for days turned out not to have come from the woman it was attributed to at all.

Inés García Santos, the girlfriend of Spain forward Lamine Yamal, has said an X account widely reported to be hers, and credited with an emotional public response to online abuse, does not belong to her. García clarified the confusion on her Instagram Stories, stating plainly that she has no Twitter presence and that only her Instagram and TikTok accounts are genuine.

Who Is Inés García Santos

García is a 21-year-old fashion and beauty influencer from Seville, with more than three million followers on Instagram, where she posts skincare routines, travel updates and fashion content. She has reportedly worked with brands including Oppo, Yepoda, Women's Secret and AliExpress.

She and Yamal made their relationship public in 2026, and the pair have said they first connected through social media, dismissing earlier viral stories claiming they met after Yamal paid for her shopping when her card was declined. García addressed those fabricated stories herself in an earlier TikTok video.

Since then, García has become a visible presence at Yamal's matches, including throughout Spain's World Cup campaign, where she was frequently seen wearing his national team jersey.

A post shared by instagram

The Rumours That Triggered The Backlash

The controversy escalated after a photo resurfaced online, allegedly showing García hugging a former partner, an individual named in some social media posts, at a wedding shortly before she began dating Yamal. Social media users used the image, along with an old supportive comment attributed to García on the same account, to accuse her of leaving a long-term partner for Yamal once his profile rose.

No verified source has confirmed the existence, timeline or ending of the alleged five-year relationship, and García has not corroborated the specific details being circulated. Social media users spread the claims rapidly regardless, amplified further after a separate clip of García and Yamal celebrating with the World Cup trophy drew more than 17 million views on X.

Some commentators used the moment to question the sincerity of the relationship entirely, while others defended García and criticised the scrutiny directed at her. The pile-on intensified in the immediate aftermath of Spain's final win, when public attention on the couple was already at its peak.

A Correction, Not A Confession

Multiple outlets had reported that García 'broke her silence' on X following unverified rumours she left a five-year relationship to date Yamal, quoting emotional lines about reading hateful comments and asking the public for empathy. García's Instagram Stories statement directly contradicts that reporting.

'My only official accounts are this one on Instagram and @inesitii on TikTok,' she wrote, adding that anything posted elsewhere in her name is fake. She stated explicitly that she does not have a Twitter account.

Inés García Santos says she does not have a Twitter account (Credit: instagram: ineesgaarcia)

The clarification means the widely circulated 'response to the hate' was never hers, raising questions about how quickly the impersonator account's posts were picked up and reported as her own words.

García's Instagram clarification leaves the underlying rumours about her dating history unresolved, but it does establish one fact clearly: whatever was said in her name on X was never hers to say.

The incident serves as a reminder that viral social media posts — even those attributed to public figures — are not always what they appear. For now, García's message is clear: if it's not on her Instagram or TikTok, it isn't her.

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