A charity photo taken inside Barcelona’s Camp Nou dressing room in 2007 has become an extraordinary backdrop to the 2026 World Cup final. Lionel Messi, then 20, will face Lamine Yamal, the baby in the image, in their first international meeting.
The photograph showed Messi bathing a 6-month-old Yamal for a calendar produced by local newspaper Sport and UNICEF. Sixteen years later, Yamal became a Barcelona star, while Messi remains Argentina’s captain.
From a Barcelona charity shoot to football’s biggest stage
Messi reflected on the image Friday at FIFA’s Fanatics Fest in New York, describing the coincidence as remarkable. “That photo is incredible,” Messi said. “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.”
| Player | Team | Age | World Cup Final Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 39 | Set for his third final |
| Lamine Yamal | Spain | 19 | Will face Messi internationally for the first time |
Messi praised Yamal’s rise but made clear Argentina will focus on limiting Spain’s young winger in Sunday’s final. “He’s one of the best in the world right now,” Messi said, adding that Spain have “a great team, not just him.”
“He’s a tremendous player … a global star,” Messi said. “He’s 19 years old and has his whole career ahead of him.”
Argentina will try to stop Yamal from adding a World Cup title to his growing status in the game. Messi said he wishes Yamal well, but added that Argentina will give everything to ensure “he doesn’t become champion this time.”
A photograph that gained a new meaning
Photographer Joan Monfort said global interest in the image has surged as the final approaches in the United States. He told The Associated Press that the moment “is better than any film script.”
Spain midfielder Mikel Merino said he initially thought the photo was generated by artificial intelligence. He called it unbelievable that two players of such stature share an image from Yamal’s infancy.
According to www.espn.com, Messi has eight goals and four assists at the 2026 World Cup and is tied with Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race. Argentina are seeking to become back-to-back world champions after Messi previously reached World Cup finals in 2014 and 2022.
Spain and Argentina had been scheduled to meet in the Finalissima in Qatar in March before the match was canceled because of the conflict in the Middle East. Their World Cup final now gives the 2007 photograph an even more unlikely sequel.