Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal is facing criticism and a potential investigation after hiring a group of dwarves for entertainment at his 18th birthday party held on Monday in Olivella, near Barcelona.

Spain’s director general for the rights of persons with disabilities, Jesús Martín Blanco, has called for an inquiry, while the Association of People with Achondroplasia and other Skeletal Dysplasias in Spain (ADEE) condemned the event as a violation of ethical values and signalled plans for legal action.

Yamal’s party, attended by team-mates including Robert Lewandowski and Gavi, drew media attention after footage emerged of dwarves arriving at the venue. ADEE criticised the practice, calling it contrary to laws and societal respect for equality.

“We are concerned that people with money and power think they can get away with it,” Martín told Spanish news agency EFE. “The law is for everyone, for the humble and the powerful.”

Speaking anonymously with a disguised voice on Catalan radio station RAC1, one of the dwarves who performed at the party defended the work as voluntary and legitimate.

“We are only asking they let us work,” he said. “We have our own contracts, we are normal people, self-employed, and do everything legally. I don’t know why there’s so much noise right now. What the association is doing is discrediting our work as professionals.”

He added: “Nobody is forcing us to do this job. We like being artists, and we’ve been dedicating ourselves to this for a long time. If we ever see any sign of disrespect, we end the show immediately. I’ve never experienced a lack of respect while working so far. There were four of us at the party. In the show, we go around dancing with people, delivering shots and drinks, doing magic tricks… We just try to make people have a fun time.”

The controversy highlights growing debate in Spain over the ethics and legality of dwarf entertainment acts at private events.