The world's brightest football prodigy Lamine Yamal (18, FC Barcelona) has drawn attention for opening a YouTube channel to communicate directly with fans, and his first video has generated great interest by being fatefully linked to Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
The blue doll captured in Yamal's personal space in the video is Paju's official mascot, "Parangi," and was reportedly given directly to Yamal by Kim Gyeong-il, owner of Paju Frontier FC, when Yamal was training at Paju NFC during FC Barcelona's Asia tour.
Lamine Yamal's first video drew global attention, recording millions of views immediately after its release. The appearance of a Paju item in this most meaningful "first video" is interpreted as a symbolic scene of Paju's football spirit extending to the global stage.
This is infusing enormous positive energy into Paju Frontier FC, which is preparing to be founded in 2026. The club views this as the best omen to come before its founding and as a "cosmic cheer" for the direction Paju Frontier FC will take, creating an encouraging atmosphere.
Parangi, whose name means "Paju's pride," is a character shaped like the pigeon, Paju's city bird. Created to embody Paju's identity and to pray for peaceful reunification, the fact that this mascot was chosen by Yamal is a pleasant signal that the future of Paju football is bright.
In particular, the worldview of Paju Frontier FC's emblem, "INTO THE COSMOS (into the cosmos)," meaning "the club into the new K League cosmos, the fans into the newly founded cosmos (club)," has shone even more because of this incident.
The phrase at the bottom of the emblem, "a pigeon rushing forward at full speed," aligns with Parangi's motif and embodies the club's will to soar toward victory. Also, the 20 cosmos flowers in the emblem represent the harmony of Paju's 20 administrative districts, and the club aspires to become a "cosmos (new order)" that unites all citizens.
A Paju Frontier FC official said Yamal showing Parangi in his first video is a sign that the new football order the club is preparing is already touching the world, and added that, carrying the hopeful energy symbolized by Paju Frontier blue and Paju cosmos pink in the emblem, like the pigeon rushing forward at full speed in the emblem, the club will use the miraculous narrative and favorable developments that have continued even before its founding as a springboard to leap beyond Paju and become a global platform club where promising players from around the world exchange.
[Photo] Paju FC, Lamine Yamal YouTube.
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