TikTok Star Khaby Lame Takes on Soccer in Brazil Following U.S. Detention

Khaby Lame, the globe’s top-followed TikToker, who was released from U.S. immigration custody, has traveled to Brazil. He has reportedly been enjoying time with his friends there, according to statements made by local officials on Thursday.

Lame is currently residing with AC Milan player Emerson Royal and has been spending time interacting with local supporters. This information was provided by Paulo Eduardo Dias Junior, a city councilor from Americana, which is approximately 78 miles (125 kilometers) northwest of São Paulo, to The Associated Press.

On Wednesday evening, they engaged in an amicable football game against the local team.

After being apprehended by immigration officials at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on June 6 for an alleged visa violation, Lamine departed from the United States. The Senegalese-Italian social media personality, known professionally as Seringe Khabane Lame, was permitted to exit the nation without facing formal deportation proceedings, as stated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Junior organized Wednesday's game on behalf of the nonprofit organization he heads, Instituto Jr Dias. According to him, the involvement of Lame and Royal led to collecting 150 food kits for underprivileged households.

Emerson Royal serves as an inspiration for the young people in our neighborhood, just like Khaby, who has gained worldwide recognition via social media. He's extremely popular amongst today’s youth," Junior stated. "He thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the children and spent ample time playing with them.

The councilman mentioned that the group featuring Lame and Royal emerged victorious with a score of 3-1. He noted that everything proceeded without issues, save for the post-game festivities. Following Brazilian custom, the teammates convened for a barbecue session. However, since Lame favored a parmigiana dish instead, they opted to take him to a nearby eatery called Junior’s, as per his statement.

This is not Lame’s first time in Brazil. Last year, he travelled to the country to attend the Royal’s wedding.

Met Gala followed by detention

lame entered the United States on April 30 and "violated the conditions of his visa," according to an ICE representative who spoke with the Associated Press. The agency reached out via email using the contact information from Lame’s Instagram page for further comments on Tuesday. So far, he has not made any public statements regarding his detainment.

His imprisonment and decision to leave the United States coincide with President Donald Trump’s intensifying efforts to enforce immigration policies, such as the operations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles that led to several days of demonstrations. This occurs as the president explores the limits of his executive powers.

A discretionary exit option provided to Lame enables individuals confronting expulsion from the United States to bypass receiving a formal deportation ruling on their immigration file. This avoidance can stop them from being barred from entering the country again for as long as ten years.

The 25-year-old Lame gained global recognition during the pandemic without uttering a single word in his clips, where he was seen responding to ridiculously complex "life hacks." His TikTok page boasts over 162 million followers.

The influencer, who was born in Senegal, relocated to Italy as a baby along with his working-class parents and additionally holds Italian citizenship.

He rapidly gained online prominence. In 2022, he entered into a multiple-year agreement with the fashion label Hugo Boss. Additionally, in January, he took up the role of a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

The previous month, he went to the Met Gala in New York City just a few days after landing in the United States.