. Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Spain’s young star Lamin Yamal have been linked with a historic photo dating back nearly two decades.
This photo of Messi and baby Yamal taken in 2008 has now gone viral around the world ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Messi also called the photo “unbelievable”. In a video released by D-Sports, Messi said it was “amazing” that Yamal was taken as a toddler and now that both players are competing in a World Cup final.
‘It’s really unbelievable that this image exists. He was just a kid when we took this picture and now we are both competing in the World Cup final. It’s all unbelievable,” Messi said.
Messi, who was a Barcelona player 18 years ago, met Yamal while attending a charity photoshoot organised by the Catalan newspaper Diario Sport.
The 20-year-old posed for a photo shoot at Barcelona’s historic Camp Nou stadium with his mother, Sheila Abena, next to him. At the time, Messi was a rising player in world football, and no one could have imagined that Yamal would become one of Spain’s top talents in the future. But now, after nearly two decades, both players will be pitted against each other for the World Cup title. This historic photo was taken by freelance photographer John Monfort. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also released the photo and made a special mention of Messi and Yamal’s journey.
“Yes, the picture you saw is real,” UNICEF said in a statement on social media X. More than 18 years ago, a child, Lamin Yamal, and his mother, Sheila Massey, met at a UNICEF fundraiser. “Both Messi and Yamal are working for the benefit of children, not only on the field but also in the social sector,” UNICEF said in a statement. Both players are UNICEF’s goodwill ambassadors.
Meanwhile, defending champions Argentina and European champions Spain will face each other in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The match is also expected to be a symbolic clash between veteran great Messi and teenage star Yamal.
Spain beat France 2-0 in the semi-finals, while Argentina beat England 2-1 to reach the final.
Argentina scored the decisive goal in the last minute of the game. Messi is at the top of the Golden Boot race ahead of the final. He surpassed France captain Kylian Mbappe after scoring two assists in the semi-final against England. ANI
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