Nearly two decades after a chance charity photoshoot, Messi and Yamal prepare to meet on football's biggest stage
Almost 20 years after a charity photoshoot unexpectedly linked Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, the two Barcelona icons are preparing to face each other in one of the biggest matches in football history.
When Argentina take on Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, one of the sport's most remarkable stories will come full circle.
The now-viral image, taken in 2007 by photographer Joan Monfort, shows a 20-year-old Messi gently helping bathe a five-month-old Yamal in a small blue plastic tub during an FC Barcelona and UNICEF charity calendar shoot. At the time, neither Monfort nor anyone involved could have imagined that the baby in the photograph would one day line up against Messi in a World Cup final.
Image Credit: ReutersReflecting on the extraordinary twist of fate, Messi admitted he still finds it difficult to believe.
"That picture with Lamine, now we are facing in a final after a photo was taken of when he was a baby," Messi told seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady during Fanatics Fest on Friday. "It's just insane."
The Argentine captain described the image as one of life's incredible coincidences.
"That photo is just unbelievable because, well, life works in strange ways. I took a picture with him when he was a baby, and now we're both about to face each other in a World Cup. It's crazy, really. As I said, it's unbelievable."
The photograph has spread rapidly across social media in the build-up to the final, becoming one of the defining images of the tournament.
Photographer Joan Monfort, speaking to The Associated Press, admitted he never expected the picture to gain such significance.
"I have never been a believer or thought that anything was destined to occur, but I am beginning to have my doubts. This is beyond all reasonable explanations," Monfort said.
Image Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via ReutersWhile Sunday's final will see Messi attempt to win back-to-back World Cup titles with Argentina, he reserved high praise for the teenager who has emerged as Spain's brightest star.
Despite being just 19 years old, Yamal has already established himself among the world's elite players, and Messi believes the Spaniard is on the verge of something historic.
"He has a great opportunity to achieve something historic. We'll, however, do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen this time."
Messi also highlighted Yamal's remarkable development and wished him continued success beyond Sunday's showdown.
"Right now, he's undoubtedly one of the best players in the world. I wish him tremendous success because what's good for him is also good for Barcelona."
Image Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via ReutersThe famous photograph dates back to 2007, when Messi was already emerging as Barcelona's next global superstar.
Yamal, meanwhile, was just five months old after his family won a raffle to take part in the club's annual charity calendar with UNICEF. The image eventually appeared in the January 2008 edition of the calendar, capturing a moment that has since become part of football folklore.
The parallels between the pair are striking. Messi made his Barcelona debut at 17 before developing into one of the greatest players in football history. Yamal's rise has been even earlier, making his first-team debut for Barcelona at just 15 years old.
Despite inevitable comparisons, Yamal has consistently insisted he wants to forge his own identity rather than follow directly in Messi's footsteps.
"It's a mutual respect, and I think we both know that I don't want to be Messi, and Messi knows that I don't want to be him," Yamal said last year. "I want to follow my own path, and that's it. I have no intention of playing like him or being, or wearing the number 10 that Messi wore, or anything like that."
On Sunday, the pair will meet as opponents for the first time. Messi is chasing a second successive World Cup crown with Argentina, while Yamal has the chance to lift football's biggest prize before celebrating his 20th birthday.
What began as an ordinary charity photoshoot nearly two decades ago has become one of football's most extraordinary stories, with the World Cup final providing its most dramatic chapter yet.
