Lionel Messi is commenting on the viral 2007 photo showing him bathing a baby Lamine Yamal.
Messi, who was in attendance at FIFA’s Fanatics Fest on Friday (July 17), described the photo as “incredible.”
“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,” he said. See the photo here.
Where was the photo taken?
According to ESPN, the photo was taken as part of a charity calendar produced at the FC Barcelona stadium by a local newspaper and UNICEF.
The photo was taken by Joan Monfort who spoke to Associated Press about it, saying the photo “has exploded all over the world” and people are now clamoring for more of his work.
“We made the calendar with the help of UNICEF. So UNICEF did a raffle in the neighborhood of Roca Fonda in Mataró where Lamine’s family lived. They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barca player. And they won the raffle,” Monfort told AP.
“And now this has culminated with the final between Messi and Yamal. It is better than any film script,” he continued.
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will face each other in the World Cup final
What makes the photo truly remarkable is the fact that a little less than 10 years since that photo was taken, Messi and Yamal will face off in the World Cup Final this Sunday.
Yamal is just 19 years old and will go head-to-head with the Argentina captain at an international level as Argentina and Spain compete for the win.
What Messi has said about Yamal as a player
Messi praised the younger soccer player at Fanatics Fest, saying, “He’s one of the best in the world right now. 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 continued, “He’s a tremendous player, a global star. 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.”
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Posted To:2026 World Cup Lamine Yamal Lionel Messi Sports World Cup