“M aybe Lionel Messi has picked up lots of babies, maybe it’s chance, but for those of us who have faith, who believe in something beyond, ‘chance’ is God’s pseudonym when he doesn’t want to sign his name,” reflects Luis de la Fuente. “In life, everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it’s true that the circle isn’t closed, but in my view there’s something else, something … I don’t know, mystical, spiritual.”
As one contemplates the captivating image tied to this World Cup, it’s easy to resonate with the sentiments expressed by Spain’s coach, seeking a deeper meaning. How does one make sense of such a moment? You may have encountered the photograph, and likely will again, yet its mystery lingers.
Joan Monfort, the photographer behind the iconic moment, initially did not subscribe to the notion of fate, but his viewpoint has since transformed. The photograph features Messi, often hailed as the greatest footballer of all time, cradling a beaming infant. This child, chosen at random and surrounded by a sea of bubbles, is Lamine Yamal, whom coach de la Fuente believes was “the beginning of two legends” and also baptized by him.
On Sunday, they will reunite on the pitch for the World Cup final.
The image was captured around Christmas 2007, as a sports magazine prepared a charity calendar for Barcelona and Unicef. A makeshift studio was established in the away dressing room at Camp Nou, where players posed with children. Ronaldinho graced July’s page while Messi represented January, and Lamine Yamal was merely four months old. His mother, Sheila, entered him into a lottery for the event. Monfort conceived the idea the previous night while bathing his daughter, bringing along a plastic tub and rubber duck. Despite Yamal being an infant and Messi’s shyness, they managed to create a shot that Monfort cherished.
Afterward, the picture faded from memory. Monfort stored it away, just another image among countless others, unaware of its impending significance. The photograph reemerged unexpectedly when, during Euro 2024, Lamine Yamal’s father, Mounir, shared it on social media with the caption “What if it’s not actually Lamine?”
What unfolded here? How did the randomly chosen child grow into Lamine Yamal? How did Messi, a timid 19-year-old at the time, evolve into the global icon he is today? What were the chances they would cross paths again? Why hadn’t this image been shared earlier? Where did Mounir discover it, and how did Lamine Yamal remain unaware? When Monfort finally met Lamine Yamal, the young player confessed he had no memory of that moment. After all, he was only four months old.
“God willing, I can face him in the final.” Monfort mused at the time, thrust into an unforeseen spotlight. His concerns were plausible; the connection felt almost too surreal. Mounir’s timing was impeccable, as just four days later, Lamine Yamal scored a crucial goal against France, propelling Spain into the Euro 2024 final and marking his emergence on the international stage. Monfort reflected that it felt akin to creation, while Mounir jested with Lamine Yamal about the possibility of their roles being reversed—perhaps it was Lamine who breathed life into Messi.
Unicef confirmed the photo’s authenticity in July 2026, but the absurdity didn’t cease there. Following Argentina’s triumph over England, Monfort’s phone was inundated with calls, as the image had transformed into a symbol of the stars destined to shine in the world’s most significant sporting event.
Recently, Lamine Yamal viewed the photograph and expressed, “I’ve grown a little bit … and so has Leo,” Despite the seemingly improbable nature of such an event, given their remarkable journeys, why should they halt now? A great deal has transpired; certain events occurred that perhaps should not have: Spain and Argentina were set to clash in the Finalissima in March, yet this meeting feels far more momentous. Lamine Yamal smiled at the image, noting, “Pressure? No, Lamine Yamal said before the semi-final, inviting the world to his 19th birthday, enjoying the spotlight. Earlier this season he had celebrated his goals by performing his own coronation and if he has stopped now, if there have been moments when he has revealed the weight of responsibility, if he has mentioned his “internal abyss”
Both have flourished in the public eye, facing tremendous pressure and expectations. The next instance Lamine Yamal appeared alongside Messi was at Barcelona’s training ground. He was still quite young, around 11 or 12, while Messi had already solidified his status as a global superstar. Although this was merely a fan encounter with the world’s best player, Lamine Yamal was no longer just a lucky kid from Catalonia; he had been scouted while playing for CF La Torreta in Mataro and had joined La Masia. He recalls the first time he experienced fame, unexpected attention catching him off guard one day at the park when he was 13, already recognized as a burgeoning talent in Barcelona.
Messi understands this journey well, and their backgrounds are not the only thing they share. He relocated from Argentina to Catalonia at the age of 12, famously “I would like to be everything that everyone wants me to be,” on a napkin at the Pompeia tennis club. Lamine Yamal’s father is Moroccan, and his mother is from Equatorial Guinea. Born in Catalonia, he proudly represents the Rocafonda 08304 postcode when he scores. This neighborhood faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with approximately 20% of its residents being Moroccan. Lamine Yamal honed his skills on the gravel plaza of Joan XXIII, and although he could have chosen to represent Morocco, he firmly opted for Spain. Messi faced a similar dilemma but chose Argentina, holding on to a country that initially took time to embrace him yet now adores him.
“Thing is, people want you to score 100 goals at 16. I would like to as well.” Lamine Yamal has declared. When discussing Messi, it’s noticeable that he speaks of him infrequently, his responses somewhat guarded and almost rehearsed. However, when he does share his thoughts, the respect and admiration are unmistakable, leaving no doubt about Messi’s status as the greatest footballer. Yet, there’s a different excitement when he mentions Neymar. This could be strategic, considering their shared sponsors—competing with Messi seems futile—but it also stems from a simpler truth: Neymar was his idol, the player he connected with the most.
In Lamine Yamal’s persona, background, and even aspects of his playing style, one can observe more of Neymar than Messi: the joy, flair, mischief, and the sparkle in his eyes. “I want to follow my own path, that’s all; I have no intention of playing like him or anything like it. There is mutual respect; we both know I don’t want to be Messi,” he asserts. He was merely seven when he first witnessed Neymar at Camp Nou; yes, Messi was present, but Neymar captivated him in a different manner. That was the football that resonated with him, a player who exemplified the delicate balance between street play and formal training. Neymar was the one he watched in videos, the one he aspired to emulate, and he even visited Neymar last summer in Brazil.
And it is against Messi that he is often measured.
No pressure, kid. “I knew that [comparison] question was coming” Lamine Yamal stated confidently before the semi-final, anticipating the celebration of his 19th birthday while reveling in the attention. Earlier this season, he celebrated his goals with a self-styled coronation. Although there have been moments where the weight of expectation surfaced, leading him to mention his “I didn’t like comparing Messi to Maradona, but Messi didn’t make it easy; I don’t like comparing Lamine to Messi but Lamine doesn’t make it easy either,” he has embraced the pressure, confronting it directly. His headband reads “There are geniuses, those who are touched by God’s wand and there are few of those: Lamine or Messi.” Above all, he has risen to the challenge.
“The only place where three men can’t mark you is in the middle and I will end up there: they can’t defend me there,” he expressed in the spring. “There is a new generation of players that’s very good and has many years ahead,” Currently, he has netted over 50 goals. He holds the record as Barcelona’s youngest debutant and their youngest goalscorer, a title previously held by Messi. “If I had to choose one, it would be Lamine. Without doubt, he’s the best.” he remarked to CBS, adding, “If we meet on the pitch there will be mutual respect because for me he is the best in history.”—yet the echoes persist.
If there exists a Lamine Yamal goal, and indeed there is one, it resembles the goals once scored by Messi. “I didn’t like comparing Messi to Maradona, but Messi didn’t make it easy; I don’t like comparing Lamine to Messi, but Lamine doesn’t make it easy either,” commented Jorge Valdano, the former Argentine international. Xavi Hernández, who provided Lamine Yamal with his debut at Barcelona, also wished to avoid the comparison but found it unavoidable. De la Fuente noted, “There are geniuses, those touched by God’s wand, and few possess that: Lamine or Messi.” Lamine Yamal scored his first World Cup goal at 18, wearing the number 19. Two decades earlier, Messi achieved the same feat: same age, same number.
An evolution awaits as well. In a captivating recent interview with El País, Lamine Yamal highlighted that Messi, like him, is often marked by three opponents and suggested he would eventually follow Messi into a different area of the field. “The only place where three men can’t mark you is in the middle, and I will end up there: they can’t defend me there,” he remarked.
Messi will celebrate his 40th birthday in June 2027, and Lamine Yamal firmly stated he would not be playing at that age. That is still a long way off, and it remains uncertain what he will think then. The swift pace of his journey—outpacing even Messi’s—raises questions about where it will lead him and whether this era will belong to him. Once, Spaniards might have contemplated what could have occurred if Messi had chosen Spain. Now, they wonder if they might truly have him, at least in spirit, waiting for the day Messi departs. Until then, Messi has demonstrated throughout this tournament that no one compares.
Lamine Yamal, likened by de la Fuente to great artists like Michelangelo or Salvador Dalí, has already played 151 matches for Barcelona, securing three league titles. This achievement seems improbable. At Yamal’s age, Messi had only played 34 matches and scored nine goals. Lamine Yamal clinched a European Championship with his national team, winning it a day after turning 17, all while balancing school exams. Messi had to wait until he was 34 to claim an international trophy with Argentina, but he has continued to thrive since. The 2022 World Cup was meant to be his swan song, a man on a mission, yet now he finds himself in his third World Cup final, chasing a fourth international title, all at an age when he could have chosen to retire.
Now, Lamine Yamal stands before him, already a winner, while still at the dawn of his career: a symbolic passing of the torch that Messi can delay, if only for a day. “There is a new generation of players that’s very good and has many years ahead,” Messi remarked. “If I had to choose one, it would be Lamine. Without a doubt, he’s the best.” Lamine Yamal responded, “If we meet on the pitch, there will be mutual respect because for me, he is the best in history.” For the first and perhaps the last time, on Sunday, in the most global city, they will face off. In the World. Cup. Final. How does one even begin to unravel the symbolism? How can one articulate the impossible?
Spain will confront Argentina. European champions against South American champions. Lionel Messi versus Lamine Yamal. The 19-year-old at his first World Cup, at the same age Messi was when they first met, against the 39-year-old in his sixth and likely final World Cup. The young player who has come to define a generation now stands as a father, while the teenager poised to define the next era takes the field. A child who was once entrusted with Messi’s No. 10, as Messi was given Maradona’s, the boy once submerged in the bath, now an icon.
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