Fate will bring Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi together again, although this time it will be on the pitch. After Spain and Argentina secured their place in the 2026 World Cup final, the young Spanish footballer will have the opportunity to face for the first time who he considers his great reference.

The story gained notoriety due to a photograph taken in 2007, when a barely 20-year-old Lionel Messi held and bathed an eight-month-old baby. That child was Lamine Yamal, who almost 19 years later will play in a World Cup final against the Argentine star.

Lamine Yamal confesses that he dreamed of facing Messi

After learning that the final will be between Spain and Argentina, Lamine Yamal remembered that image that marked his childhood and recognized the excitement of measuring up against his idol.

"Well, I've grown a little and so has Leo. I hope I can face Lionel Messi in the final, since we couldn't in the Finalissima."

The statements were made during an interview with DAZN, where they showed him the now famous photograph that became one of the most shared images in world football.

The story behind the photography that went around the world

The image was taken in 2007 as part of a solidarity calendar promoted by Barcelona in collaboration with UNICEF.

The photograph remained practically unknown for years, until 2024 when Mounir Nasraoui, father of Lamine Yamal, shared it on social networks. From then on, the scene went viral when it was revealed that the baby portrayed alongside Lionel Messi was the new jewel of Spanish football.

The photographer remembers how the image was born

The author of the photograph, Joan Monfort, explained that he never imagined the relevance that session would have almost two decades later: “There is no money that will pay for a photo like that,” he said.

The photographer recalled that at that time Lionel Messi was just beginning to establish himself with the Barcelona first team and that the session was part of a calendar for charitable purposes.

"They were photos for a solidarity calendar in which all the Barcelona players participate, in one of them Messi participates, who at that time was not at all the super-known player that he is, a calendar with the participation of UNICEF," he added.

A coincidence that today takes on a new meaning

Joan Monfort explained that the choice of the baby was completely random and that no one imagined what would happen years later.

"There is a moment when Messi appears and meets a baby. Messi would be 20 years old, the baby 8 months old. It was surely the first baby that Leo had held in his arms and of course, the interaction between the two was complicated," he concluded.

Today, almost two decades later, the story adds a new chapter. Lionel Messi, who seeks to close his World Cup career with another title, will have as his rival Lamine Yamal, the young figure from Spain who will try to win his first World Cup.

The photograph that united the two in 2007 now finds an unexpected continuation: the two will share the most important stage in football when Argentina and Spain compete in the 2026 World Cup final.