Published Sep 02, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 02, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Lamine Yamal and Allen Jose
Synopsis: An uncanny resemblance to Spain’s young football star Lamine Yamal has catapulted a shy Kollam teen into the limelight. Once worried about what girls would think of his looks, the boy, Allen Jose, has now become the darling of football clubs in Keralam.
Allen Jose was too embarrassed after getting the orthodontic braces. Beyond the temporary pain and discomfort, the 15-year-old schoolboy from Chakkuvally in Kollam worried more about how girls would respond to him flashing his braces.
Like any other outspoken Gen Z peer, he did not hesitate to share his thoughts—in his case, concerns—with his parents.
Today, looking back at her son’s concern, Lincy James is grinning, trying hard not to break into a guffaw in her crowded office.
”While he was getting braces, he was so upset. He kept complaining about how uncomfortable they were and how different he looked. His biggest worry was that no girls would find him interesting anymore.” Lincy said in between laughs.
Allen is now confident — and happy since he has seen girls his age noticing him and whispering among themselves.
The newly instilled confidence did not come from effort. It came accidentally, soon after Spain lifted the FIFA World Cup.
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In fact, several people and his friends had noticed it before the kick-off of the Spain vs Argentina final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July. Some even told Allen about his uncanny resemblance to Spain’s 19-year-old star, Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana.
Allen James
Allen paid them little attention. He just smiled, without showing his braces.
However, the Class 10 student of Government Higher Secondary School at Chakkuvally soon found himself at the centre of attention — not only of the girls he once worried about, but also of the entire nation.
Allen’s life took an unexpected confident turn after Nikhil Manohar, a block panchayat member and vlogger, filmed Allen in a Yamal jersey and uploaded the video on social media. People soon noticed the same haircut, smile, and facial features that reminded them of the Spanish forward.
Now in the limelight, with the media portraying him as Kerala’s Yamal, Allen could not help grinning ear to ear. The orthodontic appliance is not a concern for him.
”Many people have been telling me for a long time that I look like Yamal, but I never really paid much attention to it. I thought my friends were joking.” Allen told South First.
Allen, who till recently had around 300 followers on Instagram, today boasts about having tens of thousands of people following him.
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The boy is both happy and sad now.
”I am sad because my favourite player, Messi, announced his retirement from international football today. But I am also happy because people across the world who love Yamal have started following me. I had only 300 followers on Instagram, and now it has crossed 36k overnight,” Allen said.
The attention has also brought something Allen loves even more than social media: football.
A footballer since childhood, Allen usually plays in defence, unlike Yamal. He admires Yamal, of course, but his favourite remains Messi. He is also an Argentina supporter.
Incidentally, Messi is Yamal’s favourite too.
Just a few days before his face went viral, Allen was selected to his school football team. Now, football clubs from Malappuram have started calling the family, hoping to have the Yamal lookalike play for them.
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His elder brother Ajil James, a Plus One student, said the family has even received invitations to inaugurations.
Lamine Yamal with the World Cup.
”Many football clubs in Malappuram have started calling us to ask Allen to play. Some have also invited him for inaugurations. We will go if Allen is comfortable,” Ajil told South First.
Allen is taking the sudden attention in good humour. The same comments that might once have made him self-conscious now make him smile. And somewhere along the way, the braces he once complained about have become just another part of the story.
Meanwhile, at her desk at Muthoot Bank in Kollam, Allen’s mother, Lincy, is grappling with a new set of problems—which she secretly enjoys.
Lincy is struggling to keep up with a flood of phone calls from national media organisations and football fans in Keralam. Lincy is now, in her own words, a little fed up with answering the phone.
But beneath the tiredness, there is a smile.
At home, his father, James, a construction worker, and grandmother, Shanthamma, have been watching the transformation with equal parts amusement and pride.
For Lincy, though, the sudden fame has one simple meaning: her son is happy with the way he looks.
And Allen is not complaining anymore. Instead, he is waiting.
”Hopefully, Yamal will see the videos and message me,” Allen did not hide his desire.
Meanwhile, Yamal has been doing what he does best. On Monday, 31 August, he scripted history by setting multiple world records during Barcelona’s 5-2 win against Rayo Vallecano at the iconic Nou Camp, La Liga Football Club Barcelona’s home in Spain.
He scored a brace, netting his 51st goal for Barcelona, and broke Kylian Mbappe’s record, becoming the youngest player to score 50 goals in club football. After Yamal and Mbappe, Norway’s Erling Haaland is third on the elite list.
Yamal also broke Messi’s record of being the only teen to score 50 goals in the post-World War II era.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
