Messi Bathed Yamal as a Baby, Now They Face Off in a World Cup Final
UNICEF says the raffle-winning family was paired with Messi for a 2008 charity calendar, and the photo has drawn millions of views online.
- On July 19, 2026, Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Spain's 19-year-old forward Lamine Yamal face off in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, marking a historic reunion nearly 20 years after their first meeting.
- In 2007, photographer Joan Monfort captured Messi and an infant Yamal during a charity raffle organized by UNICEF and Diario Sport at Camp Nou. Yamal's family won the raffle to have their son photographed with the then-20-year-old Messi.
- After Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared the 2007 image on social media in July 2024, it became a defining visual of the tournament. Messi called the upcoming full-circle showdown "crazy" during a fan event on Friday.
- Secondary market tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium reached nearly $10,000, with 80,000 fans expected to pack the 80,000-seat venue for the world's top two ranked teams. The atmosphere underscores the magnitude of this championship matchup.
- Both Messi and Yamal developed through Barcelona's La Masia academy as left-footed forwards, embodying a generational transition as they meet on the sport's biggest stage. Yamal inherited the iconic number 10 shirt Messi wore for nearly two decades.
505 Articles
505 Articles
In late 2007, sixteen-year-old Sheila Ebana drove to Barcelona with her baby. Ebana lived with her young son and then-partner in Matarò, forty kilometers north of the…
Messi Sends Clear Message to Yamal Before World Cup Final
Lionel Messi has delivered a calm but pointed message ahead of the World Cup final, making it clear that admiration will not soften his competitive edge when Argentina face Spain. Speaking before the match, the Argentine captain praised Lamine Yamal’s ability and composure at such a young age, calling him one of the most exciting talents in world football right now. At the same time, Messi underlined that a final is not the place for sentiment, …
In 2007 Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi met for the first time. Yamal will not remember. Now they both play a World Cup final against each other. Both stand for two different generations.
How number 19 connects Messi and Yamal as Argentina faces Spain for World Cup final
The link between the two stars began 19 years ago, when the then 20-year-old Argentina superstar was photographed with a six-month old baby Lamine Yamal in 2007 for a charity event.
Football, from time to time, writes stories that no screenwriter would dare to imagine. In December 2007, Lionel Messi was 20 years old and began to conquer the world. During a photo shoot for a UNICEF and Sport calendar, the Argentine appeared bathing a baby of barely five months. That child, chosen after his family won an organized draw in Mataró, was Lamine Yamal. Almost 19 years later, the two will share stage again. This time there will be …
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