Wikipedia

2007 Messi–Yamal photo shoot

In December 2007, 20-year-old Argentine footballer Lionel Messi posed for a charity photoshoot with six-month-old Lamine Yamal as part of a collaboration between Sport, a Catalan sports newspaper, FC Barcelona, and UNICEF to produce a fundraising calendar. Messi, then a rising star at Barcelona, was paired with Yamal by coincidence following a raffle won by Yamal's parents. The photographs remained largely obscure until July 2024, when Yamal's father shared them on social media ahead of a UEFA Euro 2024 match, at which point they gained widespread attention. The images attracted renewed attention in July 2026 ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, in which Yamal, by then 19 years old and a rising football star, faced Messi, aged 39, who was approaching the end of his accomplished career.

20-year-old Lionel Messi bathing 6-month-old Lamine Yamal

Background

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Lionel Messi is an Argentine footballer and former FC Barcelona player widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time.[1] In December 2007, when the photograph was taken, Messi was a 20-year-old rising star at the club, having joined the senior team three years earlier and already won two La Liga titles and a Champions League title.[2] Lamine Yamal is a Spanish footballer currently playing for Barcelona, widely regarded as one of the best young players in the world. At the time of the photograph, he was six months old.[1]

The photoshoot originated as part of a humanitarian collaboration between Sport, a Catalan sports newspaper, FC Barcelona, and UNICEF to produce a fundraising calendar, a partnership the three organizations had maintained since 2004.[3] For the 2008 edition, UNICEF organized a community raffle in the Rocafonda neighborhood of Mataró, Catalonia, to select participating children.[4] Yamal's parents, Mounir Nasraoui and Sheila Ebana, entered him into the raffle, winning a place in the shoot alongside a member of the FC Barcelona first team.[4][5]

The session was captured by freelance photojournalist Joan Monfort inside the visitors' dressing room at the Camp Nou in December 2007,[4] with Yamal paired alongside Messi entirely by chance.[6] The photographs include images of Messi bathing Yamal alone in a small plastic tub, another of Yamal's mother assisting Messi in the same setting, and a further shot of Messi cradling the infant in a towel.[7] To create a comfortable atmosphere during the shoot, Monfort brought a rubber duck from his daughter's collection, which Messi used to engage Yamal during the session.[8][9] Monfort noted that the shoot presented distinct challenges as Messi was notably introverted and uncomfortable handling a newborn, initially unsure of how to hold him,[4] though he adapted quickly and remained professional throughout.[6][10] The photograph was featured in the January 2008 edition of the UNICEF calendar, with fifty percent of sales proceeds directed toward funding UNICEF projects for children's rights.[11]

"Back then, nobody could imagine that this baby would be who he is now — and you could not have known that Messi would become who he became, either," Monfort said.[7]

Reception

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The photograph remained largely obscure until July 2024, having gone unremembered by Sport, Messi, Barcelona, and Monfort, though Yamal's father Nasraoui had retained knowledge of it.[2][5] During the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal between Spain and Germany,[5] Nasraoui shared one of the images on Instagram with the caption "El comienzo de dos leyendas ❤️" ("The beginning of two legends"),[‡ 1][12] which immediately went viral. Yamal went on to help Spain claim the European title that tournament. Monfort expressed surprise at the renewed attention, having completely forgotten about the photoshoot until a colleague forwarded him the social media posts. Due to the coincidental nature of the images, some initially suspected they had been generated with artificial intelligence before archival verification confirmed their authenticity.[4]

Messi (left) and Yamal (right) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The two went on to face each other in the final, representing Argentina and Spain, respectively.

After the images resurfaced, Yamal spoke to the press, stating that he had been aware of them but had decided with his father not to make them public earlier to avoid comparisons with Messi. In a July 2024 interview, Yamal said he had not yet spoken to Messi about the photographs but wished to do so. When asked whether such comparisons bothered him, Yamal said he did not mind being compared to Messi but acknowledged that the standard Messi had set as a player would be difficult to reach.[13] When a reporter suggested the photograph looked like a blessing from Messi, Yamal's father joked, "Maybe it was Lamine who blessed Leo!", adding that the odds of the two being photographed together at such early stages of their respective lives were remarkable.[14][15]

The photographs attracted a second wave of media coverage in July 2026 ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, where Messi and Yamal would meet on the pitch for the first time.[16] During a joint pre-match panel in New York on 17 July alongside American football player Tom Brady,[17] Messi addressed the coincidence publicly, stating: "Honestly, that photo of us is crazy, because — well, that's life, right? I took a photo with him as a baby, and here we both are, facing off in a World Cup".[16][18]

FIFA and several media outlets described the images as "prophetic" photos, with some characterizing it as a symbolic "baptism" in which one of the sport's greatest players (Messi) unknowingly "anointed" a future star (Yamal) as his "heir".[19] Comparisons between Messi and Yamal have been drawn since Yamal made his debut for Barcelona in 2023, since when he has won multiple La Liga titles and the UEFA Euro championship.[20][21] When the two met in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, won by Spain 1–0 over Argentina, the encounter was widely described as a "full circle" moment symbolic of a generational transition in football, with Messi (aged 39) approaching the end of an illustrious career and Yamal (aged 19), regarded as one of the sport's most promising talents, at the start of his.[22][23]

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On 21 July 2026, American trading card manufacturer Topps announced it would feature the 2007 photograph in an upcoming card release.[24]

References

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  1. 1 2 Wilson, Joseph (18 July 2026). "Lionel Messi once held baby Lamine Yamal in his arms. Now they will battle for the World Cup title". The Associated Press – via The Seattle Times.
  2. 1 2 Corrigan, Dermot (6 July 2026). "The remarkable story of Lionel Messi's meeting with a baby Lamine Yamal". The Athletic. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "The dream meeting in world football that the Barça Foundation had already foreseen". FC Barcelona. 16 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Lowe, Sid (9 July 2024). "'The beginning of two legends': Messi photos with baby Lamine Yamal go viral". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Whitebloom, Grey (17 July 2026). "How Lionel Messi Ended Up Bathing a Baby Lamine Yamal". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 Austin, Daniel (16 July 2026). "'A true miracle of destiny' – Messi and Lamine Yamal's incredible first meeting". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 Yam, Kimmy (11 July 2026). "Lionel Messi Once Bathed Baby Lamine Yamal. Now, They Could Face Off In the World Cup". Today. Archived from the original on 15 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Ojeda, Julian (18 July 2026). "What is the story behind viral Lionel Messi-Lamine Yamal photo?". ClutchPoints – via Yahoo Sports.
  9. ↑ Singh, Pragjyoti (19 July 2026). "Is Lionel Messi Related to Lamine Yamal? Diving Deep Into Their Viral Photo on the Internet". Athlon Sports. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026 – via Yahoo Sports.
  10. ↑ "Lamine Yamal: Photos of Lionel Messi bathing Spain wonderkid as a baby resurface". BBC. 10 July 2024. Archived from the original on 3 October 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Ferguson, Sarah; Su, Tong (16 July 2026). "Messi Meets Lamine Yamal: The Story Behind the Photo Everyone's Talking About". UNICEF. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Moto, Lorena; Austin, Daniel (17 July 2026). "'Es como cerrar un círculo perfecto': la historia detrás de la famosa foto de Messi bañando a Lamine Yamal contada por el fotógrafo que la tomó". BBC Mundo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Lamine Yamal habló de su icónica foto con Messi y explicó por qué no quiere ser comparado con el argentino". Infobae (in Spanish). 12 July 2024. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Burton, Chris (11 July 2024). "'Maybe it was Lamine Yamal who blessed Lionel Messi!'". Goal.com.
  15. ↑ Bakero, Lorea (11 July 2024). "El padre de Lamine Yamal presume: 'Cuando él nació yo ya sabía que iba a ser una estrella'". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  16. 1 2 Corrigan, Dermot; Tenorio, Paul (19 July 2026). "Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal's path from 'crazy' baby photos in a bath to World Cup final". The Athletic – via The New York Times.
  17. ↑ Azzoni, Tales (17 July 2026). "Lionel Messi speaks in advance of World Cup final, says Argentina 'will give it our all'". Associated Press via Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "'Just crazy': Messi on 2007 baby photo with Spain's Lamine Yamal". NBC News. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  19. ↑ Multiple sources:
  20. ↑ Wright, Chris (17 July 2026). "Messi first met future World Cup final opponent Yamal as a baby". ESPN.
  21. ↑ Ballús, Pol (16 July 2025). "Lamine Yamal and Barcelona's No 10 shirt: A blessing and a curse he is more than ready for". The Athletic. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 October 2025.
  22. ↑ "How fresh Messi-Yamal image signals changing of the guard". FIFA. 19 July 2026. Archived from the original on 21 July 2026.
  23. ↑ Bernabe, Angeline Jane (20 July 2026). "How Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal's viral photo came full circle at the World Cup". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  24. ↑ Arya, Yosua (21 July 2026). "Topps turns iconic photo of Lionel Messi holding infant Lamine Yamal into 1-of-1 trading card after 'crazy' World Cup final meeting". Goal.com.

Primary sources

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In the text, these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

  1. ↑ Nasraoui, Mounir (4 July 2024). "Post by @hustle_hard_304". Instagram. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
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