Messi and Lamine Yamal: A photo taken in 2007 during a charity event organized by Barcelona club - Sarmad
Minutes after the two finalists for the 2026 FIFA World Cup were confirmed as Spain and Argentina, an iconic image resurfaced, showing Argentine star Lionel Messi at the beginning of his career alongside Lamine Yamal, whom many consider his heir at Barcelona.
Many followers on social media and global media outlets reposted the photo of Messi bathing baby Lamine.
For some time, many observers have questioned the authenticity of the image, which gained widespread circulation two years ago, coinciding with Lamine Yamal’s breakout performance with the Spanish national team at UEFA Euro 2024, where he won the title, and his previous standout displays for Barcelona.
Many believed the image was created using specialized photo editing software or artificial intelligence (AI), implying that Messi was passing on his skills to Lamine Yamal since childhood. However, Barcelona later confirmed via its official website that the photo is 100% genuine.
The Story Behind Messi and Lamine Yamal’s Photo
The image was taken in December 2007, four months after Lamine Yamal’s birth on July 13 of that year, during a project launched by the FC Barcelona Foundation in 2004.
The FC Barcelona Foundation, in collaboration with the Spanish newspaper “Sport,” printed an annual charity calendar to raise funds for UNICEF and the foundation’s charitable works. The 2008 edition was dedicated to highlighting child support programs worldwide.
The foundation and its charitable partners selected players to appear in the calendar, including Xavi Hernández, Bojan Krkić, Deco (currently the club’s sporting director), Rafa Márquez, and Messi. By chance, Lamine Yamal was among the selected children.
Barcelona’s official website commented on the enchanting photo, stating: “This is how Messi, who was not yet 20 years old at the time, first met baby Lamine Yamal.”
It continued: “At that time, Messi was already beginning to show his exceptional talent and was embarking on a legendary career in football. But who could have predicted that the little child in the photo would one day become a player who might walk in his footsteps? Here they are together in this wonderful image.”
The club’s official website concluded: “This is likely to become one of the most famous images in the history of football.”
Behind the Scenes of the Photo
Jordi Monfort, the Spanish photographer who captured this “iconic” scene, previously spoke to the Spanish News Agency (EFE) about the making of the picture. He explained that a lottery was held in the working-class neighborhood of Rocafonda in Mataró (Lamine’s birthplace) to find children to be photographed for a charity project.
Monfort said: “Chance brought them together. The photo could have featured another player, but it was Leo. If the child’s family had been able to choose, they might have picked Ronaldinho, Xavi, or Iniesta.”
He then recalled how he planned to take the shot: “The maroon background and lighting were designed to illuminate the scene. I wanted to frame the shot tightly so I could control everything, one way or another. At some point, Messi appeared and met the child.”
He added: “Messi was 20 years old, and the child was just a few months old. It was certainly the first time Messi had held a child in his arms, and naturally, the interaction between them was complex.”
Monfort concluded: “No amount of money could buy a photo like this.”
World Cup Final Date
The World Cup final between Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Spain’s Lamine Yamal is scheduled for next Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New York City, at 4:00 p.m. local time, which corresponds to 10:00 p.m. Mecca and Doha time.
After defeating France in the semi-finals, and ahead of facing Argentina and England, Lamine Yamal was asked about his image alongside Messi. He responded, “Well, I’ve grown a bit, and so has Leo.”
He added, “I hope to face Lionel Messi in the final, since we didn’t get the chance in the Latin Super Cup (Finalissima),” referring to the match originally scheduled between the two national teams in late March last year, which was canceled due to the repercussions of the US-Iran war.
