Lionel Messi has described the famous 2007 photo of him bathing Lamine Yamal as “incredible” as he praised the Spain winger before Sunday’s 2026 World Cup final.
“That photo is incredible,” Messi said Friday. “I took a picture with him when he was a baby … the fact that we’re both playing in the World Cup now is crazy.”
The image came from a charity calendar created by local newspaper Sport and UNICEF at FC Barcelona’s stadium. By chance, Yamal, then a baby, was paired with the Argentine star for one of the pictures. Sixteen years later, Yamal grew into a Barcelona star himself.
Now, the story comes full circle. The 19-year-old Spaniard is preparing to face 39-year-old Messi for the first time in an international match in the World Cup final.
“He’s one of the best in the world right now,” Messi said at FIFA’s Fanatics Fest in New York. “I wish him luck because his success will be Barcelona’s success, [but] we’ll try to keep him from playing at his best. Spain has a great team, not just him. We have our own weapons, too.
“He’s a tremendous player … a global star,” Messi added. “He’s 19 years old and has his whole career ahead of him. I wish him the best, but we’ll give it our all to ensure he doesn’t become champion this time.”
Photographer Joan Monfort, who captured the famous images, said attention around the photo has grown massively.
“The photo has exploded all over the world, and the fact that the final is in the U.S. has given it an extra push,” Monfort told The Associated Press. “And now this has culminated with the final between Messi and Yamal. It is better than any film script.”
Spain midfielder Mikel Merino admitted he first doubted the picture was real.
“The first time I saw it, I thought it was AI and that it wasn’t even real,” Merino said Friday.
“It’s unbelievable that two of the best players to have played the game — and hopefully Lamine, in the future, will be one of those — share a picture like that. Hopefully we’re going to see a very bright final with those two protagonists at their best, playing and giving all the fans a great spectacle.”
Messi has eight goals and four assists at the tournament and is heading into his third World Cup final after also reaching the title matches in 2014 and 2022. He is level with Kylian Mbappé in the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot as Argentina chase back-to-back titles.
Spain and Argentina were due to meet in the Finalissima before the World Cup, but the match, scheduled for March in Qatar, was canceled because of the conflict in the Middle East.
