One of soccer Most talked about photographs have taken on a new meaning.
Before the upcoming Sunday FIFA World Cup Final Between Argentina and Spain, a resurfaced image of Lionel Messi and Lamen Yamal became the defining image of a wonderful moment full circle.
The photo went viral after the Argentina match wins Against England on Wednesday, the Argentine legend appears with the rising Spanish football star as an infant. In the photo, Messi appears bathing the baby, Yamal.
20-year-old soccer star Lionel Messi helps bathe Lamin Yamal, who was just six months old at the time, during a photo shoot in September 2007.
(AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Lamal Mounir Al-Nasrawi’s father, A Behind the scenes shot From what looks to be the now-famous Instagram photo shoot in 2024.
Taken by Joan Monfort in 2007, the photo was part of a charity calendar for UNICEF and was in collaboration with the FC Barcelona Foundation. The calendar was launched in 2008, and 50% of sales went to projects promoting children’s rights.
Other footballers who took part in the calendar include Xavi Hernandez, Ronaldinho Gaucho, Carles Puyol and Samuel Eto’o.
Monfort He said ESPN in 2024 that every month of the calendar shows a soccer player with a child from Catalonia, Spain. Parents can participate with their children by entering the draw.
20-year-old soccer star Lionel Messi helps bathe Lamine Yamal, who was just six months old at the time, with Yamal’s mother Sheila Ebana during a photo shoot in September 2007.
(AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
“The goal was to highlight a series of social problems that children and their families face,” Monfort told ESPN. “It was getting close to Christmas, and we wanted to convey humanity, whether through the children or the players. We tried to find a way for them to interact, laugh and relax as much as possible.”
The photographer said that Messi and Yamal were photographed last January. Monfort said his idea was to film Messi bathing his baby Yamal, saying he thought it would be a good way for them to interact. He added that Yamal’s mother helped in the process of obtaining the doses.
The photo remained long forgotten until Al-Nasrawi shared it on Instagram in July 2024.
“The beginning of two legends ❤️,” he captioned the post at the time.
Yamal’s path to fame was remarkably similar to Messi’s in the years after the photo was taken: he came through Barcelona’s famous youth academy, La Masia, before breaking into the club’s first team as a teenager. They are both also left-footed strikers who began their careers at an unusually young age.
In December 2024, when Messi he asked Through a reporter about the footballer he mentioned himself, Messi replied: “If I had to choose someone, because of his age and because of the future he has, I heard that they chose Lamine Yamal – and without a doubt, [it’s him] For me too.”
Argentine Lionel Messi in Arlington, Texas, June 22, 2026 and Spaniard Lamine Yamal in Arlington, Texas, July 14, 2026.
Reuters
He added at the time: “He is the present and undoubtedly has a great future.”
After nearly two decades of charity photo shoots, Messi and Yamal will meet on football’s biggest stage as Spain takes on Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday.
Despite their success in each of their rounds throughout the tournament, there is no public record of Messi and Yamal having met since the photos were taken, making Sunday’s final a potential meeting for decades.
Before the match Yamal He said One reporter: “I would like to face Messi in the World Cup final.”
It remains to be seen whether the match marks Messi’s final World Cup appearance. For many fans, this represents more than just a battle for football’s biggest prize, bringing together two players linked by an unforgettable image – one who defined his generation and the other who could define the next.
The FIFA World Cup Final will take place on Sunday, July 19 at 3pm ET at New York-New Jersey Stadium.
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