In 2007, during a charity photoshoot, a 20-year-old footballer was bathing a five-month-old baby in a plastic tub. Nearly two decades later, that baby is now Spain’s star Lamine Yamal, and the young man is Lionel Messi—one of the greatest players in football history.
Ahead of the showdown between Argentina and Spain in the World Cup final, that historic photo has once again become a topic of conversation. Messi has now shared his thoughts on the image.
Speaking with Tom Brady at an event in New York, the Argentine captain said, “Honestly, the photo is just crazy. That’s life! He was a baby then, and we took a picture. And today, we are facing each other in the World Cup final.”
Messi didn’t just reminisce; he also heaped praise on Yamal. He said, “Lamine is incredibly talented. I’ve watched him closely because he plays for a club I love. At just 19, he has become one of the best players in the world. He has his whole career ahead of him and plenty of opportunities to make history.”
However, alongside the praise, Messi also acknowledged the upcoming battle in the final: “I wish him the best. But this time, we will do our utmost to ensure he doesn’t write that history against us.”
The photo was taken in December 2007 for a charity calendar, a joint initiative by Barcelona, UNICEF, and the Spanish newspaper Diario Sport. Yamal’s family participated in the photoshoot after being selected via a lottery. At the time, no one imagined that this baby would one day become a major star in world football and face Messi in a World Cup final.
The photo went viral globally in 2024 after Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared it on social media. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup final, the image seems to have taken on new significance—capturing two generations of world football in a single frame as they prepare to face off on the biggest stage of all.
