'It's just insane': Messi reacts to viral baby photo with Yamal ahead of World Cup final
New York: When a 20-year-old Lionel Messi gently held and bathed a five-month-old Lamine Yamal during a UNICEF charity photoshoot in 2007, few could have imagined the pair would one day face each other in a FIFA World Cup final.
Nineteen years later, the iconic image has come full circle, with defending champions Argentina and Spain set to meet in Sunday's World Cup final in New York, where Messi and Yamal will battle for football's biggest prize.
The photographs, taken in the away dressing room at Barcelona's Camp Nou, show a young Messi holding baby Yamal in a blue bathtub during a UNICEF campaign. The images resurfaced in 2024 after Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared them on social media ahead of the UEFA Euro final between Spain and England, quickly becoming one of football's most memorable photographs.
The photoshoot itself came about through a raffle organised by the Catalan newspaper Sport in partnership with UNICEF. Yamal's parents, Mounir Nasraoui and Sheila Ebana, entered their eldest son into the draw, with the winners paired with Barcelona first-team players for a charity photo session. Among the players taking part were Messi, Xavi, Deco, Rafael Marquez and Bojan, and by chance, baby Yamal was paired with Messi. According to photographer Joan Monfort, Messi, then just 20 years old, was shy when he arrived for the photoshoot.
Speaking to seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady at Fanatics Fest ahead of the final, Messi admitted he still finds the story hard to believe.
"That picture with Lamine, now we are facing in a final after a photo was taken of when he was a baby," Messi told Brady. "It's just insane."
While reflecting on Yamal's remarkable rise, Messi praised the Spanish teenager but said Argentina would be doing everything possible to deny him a historic triumph.
"Lamine is truly amazing," Messi said. "I've followed him a lot because he plays for a club I love so much. He has a chance to achieve something historic — we're going to try to make sure that doesn't happen this time."
Messi also joked about the challenge awaiting Argentina in Sunday's showdown.
"We'll try to put on a good match, but I hope he and his team don't put on a good one," Messi said.
The final will pit two generations of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy against each other. Messi is aiming to become the first captain to lift back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles, while Yamal could become one of the youngest players ever to start and win a World Cup final.
Argentina booked their place in the final with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England. Enzo Fernandez cancelled out England's opener before Lautaro Martinez struck a stoppage-time winner to send the defending champions into another World Cup final.
Spain reached the title clash after defeating France 2-0 in the semifinals. Yamal played a key role by winning the penalty that led to Mikel Oyarzabal's opening goal before Pedro Porro added the second, sending Spain into their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010.