At the Fanatics Fest event in New York on 17/7, Argentina captain Lionel Messi spoke about the photo taken with young Spanish player Lamine Yamal. "That photo is beautiful. I took it with him when he was a child. It's incredibly surprising that we're facing each other in the World Cup", he said.
The picture was taken in 2007 for a charity calendar produced by Sport newspaper and UNICEF at Camp Nou in Spain. At that time, Messi was 20 years old, while Yamal was a baby randomly paired for the photoshoot.
Nearly two decades later, Yamal is set to face Messi in the first World Cup final of his career.
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Messi responds when asked about the photo of him with Yamal nearly 20 years ago, on 17/7. Photo: Foxsports |
Messi stated that Yamal is currently one of the best players in the world. "I wish him good luck because his success is also Barcelona's success. Spain is a strong team, but we will try to stop him and use our own weapons", Messi said.
Photographer Joan Monfort, the author of the photo, noted that his work regained attention before the final. "The photo has spread worldwide, and the fact that the final is taking place in the US further increased its appeal. Now everything has reached its peak with Messi and Yamal meeting in the final. It's better than any movie script", he commented.
Midfielder Mikel Merino, Yamal's teammate, mentioned he initially thought the photo was a product of artificial intelligence (AI). "Two of the best players appearing in one photo is unbelievable", Merino said.
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The photo of Messi and Yamal from nearly 20 years ago went viral on social media before the World Cup 2026 final. Photo: Diario Sport |
Messi will participate in his third World Cup final, following 2014, 2022, and 2026. In this year's tournament, he has scored 8 goals and provided 4 assists, leading the Golden Boot race alongside Kylian Mbappe as Argentina aims to defend their title.
Yamal is considered Messi's successor at Barcelona. The 19-year-old forward developed through the La Masia academy. He plays in the same winger position and is consistently compared to the Argentine player due to his dribbling ability. Midfielder Gavi remarked: "After Lionel Messi, he is our best player".
Nhat Minh (Source: Foxsports)
