A 19-year-old photograph showing a teenage Lionel Messi holding and bathing baby Lamine Yamal has resurfaced online ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.
The image has attracted fresh attention as Messi prepares to lead Argentina against Spain, where Yamal has emerged as one of the tournament’s standout young stars.
Charity photoshoot created memorable moment
The photograph was taken in 2007 during a charity calendar project organised by Barcelona and a local newspaper.
At the time, Messi was a rising talent at the Spanish club, while Yamal was only an infant.
Neither could have imagined that nearly two decades later they would meet on opposite sides in football’s biggest international match.
Fans revisit remarkable football story
The image first gained global attention in 2024 during Yamal’s breakthrough with Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
With both players now preparing for the World Cup final, the photograph has once again gone viral across social media platforms.
Many football fans have described the image as one of the most remarkable full-circle moments in the sport, linking two generations of Barcelona stars through a single photograph.
World Cup final adds historic twist
Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, will captain Argentina in the final, while Yamal hopes to help Spain capture another World Cup title.
Their meeting has added even greater significance to an image that has become one of football’s most talked-about photographs.