Photo of 8 year old Adeyemi playing football in Ibadan breaks internet

A previously unseen photograph of a young Karim Adeyemi playing street football in Ibadan in 2010 has sparked engagement and widespread bewilderment across social media platforms.

The image was published by Barca_Archive on X, an account dedicated to curating rare photographs of Barcelona players.

The picture shows an eight-year-old Adeyemi on a pitch in the Oyo State capital while wearing a full Bayern Munich kit. 

The wardrobe choice aligns with his developmental timeline, as the forward officially joined Bayern Munich's youth academy that same year (2010) and remained there until 2012.

Given Adeyemi's recent €29 million transfer to Barcelona in the summer, the photograph fits the archival theme of the X page.

However, unsuspecting fans expressed genuine confusion regarding the location. Supporters flooded the replies, bewildered as to why a German international and Barcelona forward was casually photographed playing grassroots football in southwestern Nigeria over a decade ago.

The confusion stems from a lack of widespread awareness regarding the 24-year-old's heritage and his consistent off-pitch integration with his roots.

Adeyemi was born in Munich to a Romanian mother and a Nigerian father, Abbey Adeyemi, who originally hails from Ibadan.

Despite representing the German national team, winning the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and making his senior debut later that year, the forward maintains deep, active ties to Nigeria.

He regularly travels to Ibadan alongside his father during the European offseason. During these visits, he actively funds grassroots development through his foundation, notably hosting the U-15 Adeyemi Football Championship at the Olubadan Stadium to provide trial opportunities in Europe for local youngsters, alongside visiting his affiliated local club, Adeyemi FC.

Beyond infrastructure investments, Adeyemi has enthusiastically embraced his Nigerian cultural identity on the global stage.

After scoring a spectacular solo goal in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over Chelsea in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on February 15, 2023, he famously credited his blistering pace to his traditional diet. 

During the post-match interview, Adeyemi specifically cited eating Nigerian staples like fufu, a cassava-based dish, as the secret behind his explosive acceleration.

The forward now brings that same physical profile to LALIGA, aiming to replicate the dominance he previously achieved at Red Bull Salzburg, where he secured three consecutive Austrian Bundesliga titles and three Austrian Cups between 2019 and 2022.