Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal's iconic 19-year-old baby photo resurfaces after Argentina set up 2026 World Cup final with Spain

A heartwarming photograph of Lionel Messi holding baby Lamine Yamal has resurfaced after Argentina booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain. The image was taken in 2007 during a Barcelona charity calendar photoshoot, when a 20-year-old Messi posed with five-month-old Yamal. Nearly two decades later, the pair are set to face each other on football's biggest stage, with Messi leading reigning champions Argentina and 19-year-old Yamal spearheading Spain's attack. The remarkable full-circle moment has captivated football fans worldwide, adding another emotional layer to one of the most anticipated World Cup finals in recent history.


Messi and Yamal are set for a remarkable reunion on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Argentina and Spain will battle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup title. Their first meeting came nearly 19 years ago under very different circumstances. In December 2007, 20-year-old Messi took part in a Barcelona Foundation charity calendar photoshoot organized in partnership with Spanish newspaper Diario Sport and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). During the session, he was photographed with five-month-old Yamal, who arrived at Camp Nou with his mother and was placed in a small bathtub for the shoot.


The photo from the 2007 charity event went viral after Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared it on Instagram following Spain's Euro 2024 triumph. He captioned the image, "The beginning of two legends," highlighting the remarkable journey from Messi cradling baby Yamal to both becoming global football stars.

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Yamal, of course, has no memory of the moment. Since then, the teenager has risen rapidly, making his Barcelona debut in 2023, earning his first Spain call-up just months later, and helping La Roja win Euro 2024. Now, the teenage sensation has the chance to add a FIFA World Cup title by facing the football icon from that unforgettable photo.