During the spring of 2025, Barcelona fans and rivals alike noticed something strange. An unusual number of Barça players were stepping onto the pitch with heavy white bandages wrapped around their wrists or hands. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Gavi, Pau Víctor, and even Robert Lewandowski appeared with the wraps in matches, sometimes covering an entire hand.

Most clubs see the occasional taped wrist. But in Barcelona’s case, it was several players at once, week after week, without official injury updates. Photos from training and broadcasts fueled the intrigue. Was this just a coincidence, or something more? On social media, the nickname “BandageBall” started trending.

The rise of the doping theory

By early April, the sight of so many bandages had become a talking point. Rumors began circulating on Twitter, TikTok, and Reddit that Barcelona players were hiding signs of intravenous doping. Posts paired photos of wrapped hands with syringe emojis. Memes showed Benzema’s long-time hand wrap alongside Barça’s, captioned “Same tape, different energy.” One TikTok edit of Raphinha’s goal celebration even called it “The Hand of DOP,” a play on ‘s infamous “Hand of God.”

Fuel came from Madrid-friendly voices. TV personality Kiko Matamoros questioned players’ “sudden” physical development. Former Madrid goalkeeper Paco Buyo said some had gone from “skinny to looking like Rambos” and “run twice as much as last year.” Then Dr. Niko Mihic, Real Madrid’s ex-head of medical services, suggested on Marca that the easiest venous access was in the hands and wrists, implying the bandages might be covering something. Matamoros escalated it, claiming “what happened with Lance Armstrong is a joke compared to this.”

Barcelona’s camp saw the accusations as baseless. Players reportedly laughed at them in private. One source noted most pros tape their wrists for comfort or minor knocks. But the rumors fit a familiar rivalry pattern: doubts rising just as Barça hit their best form in years.

Experts weigh in: no medical case for the theory

Sports doctors were quick to dismiss the doping angle. Marco Scorcu, vice president of ‘s sports doctors federation, asked why anyone hiding something would choose a visible area like the hand and then wrap it in glaring white tape. A cotton pad or small plaster would suffice after a needle.

Spanish sports physician Antoni Mora added that wrist wraps often remain long after an injury heals because of superstition. “If they play well while wearing it, they keep it,” he said. Both stressed that doping controls are strict, making such a practice implausible and easily detectable.

The real causes in Barça’s case were straightforward. Raphinha hurt his during duty. Gavi injured his hand after punching a wall, and so did Lamal, apparently. Pau Víctor had a knock earlier in the season. None were serious, but enough to warrant some protection.

Bandages as ritual

Wrapping hands isn’t new in football. Karim Benzema famously wore his even after his broken finger healed, saying it brought him luck. Luis Suárez’s taped finger became part of his goal celebrations. Players often keep the habit for comfort or as a superstition, turning a medical necessity into a personal ritual.

Raphinha seemed to relish mocking the rumors. In last season’s El Clásico against Madrid, he scored and then repeatedly pointed at his wrapped hand, holding it aloft toward the crowd. The clip went viral, with captions like “Here’s your doping hand” and “The Hand of DOP.” For Barça fans, it was a perfect answer.

On Reddit, rival fans continued to poke fun with threads titled “Seven Wrists of Barcelona.” But without evidence, the story began to fade. No investigations were launched, and attention shifted back to the pitch.

A rivalry story more than a scandal

This wasn’t the first time Barcelona faced whispered accusations during a winning run. Similar claims surfaced in 2011 and were debunked. The bandage saga of 2025 followed the same arc: a visual quirk, social media hype, rival voices stirring the pot, and experts tearing the theory apart.

In the end, those white wraps weren’t hiding a scandal. They were reminders of bumps, bruises, and the rituals athletes cling to. And in the heat of a rivalry, even something as simple as a bandage can become a flashpoint.