“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 imagery surrounding this World Cup, it’s easy to resonate with Spain’s coach, who seeks a deeper significance. Understanding the importance of this moment can be challenging, and while the photograph has captured widespread intrigue, its true meaning remains elusive.
The photographer, Joan Monfort, once doubtful about the concept of fate, has since embraced the idea of destiny. In the captivating photo, Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player ever, gently bathes a beaming infant. That child, chosen at random and enveloped in bubbles, is Lamine Yamal, who De la Fuente believes has been “the beginning of two legends” and was almost baptized by Messi himself.
On Sunday, they are scheduled to meet in the World Cup final.
This memorable photograph was taken around Christmas in 2007, as a sports newspaper collaborated with Barcelona and Unicef to produce a charity calendar. A studio was set up in the away dressing room at Camp Nou, where each player posed for their assigned month. Ronaldinho represented July, while Messi took January. At that time, Lamine Yamal was just four months old, as his mother, Sheila, had entered him into a draw for the session. The night before, Monfort had an idea while bathing his daughter, bringing along a plastic tub and a rubber duck. Despite Messi’s initial shyness, he managed to capture a shot he was pleased with, thanks to Sheila’s help.
After this moment, it gradually faded from memory. Monfort filed it away, another image among countless others, unaware of the significance it would later attain. The photo remained forgotten until it reemerged during Euro 2024, when Lamine Yamal’s father, Mounir, shared it on social media, captioning it “What if it’s not actually Lamine?”
How did such a chance encounter evolve into Lamine Yamal’s journey? How did Messi, a shy 19-year-old, blossom into the legend he is today? Of all the individuals in the world, how did their paths intersect? Why did Mounir wait so long to reveal this? How did Lamine Yamal remain oblivious to the event? When Monfort later introduced himself to Yamal, the young player confessed he had no recollection of the occasion, which is understandable given his age at the time.
“God willing, I can face him in the final.” Monfort worried back then, taken aback by the sudden spotlight. This concern was valid; the situation felt surreal. Mounir’s timing, however, proved fortuitous. Just four days later, Lamine Yamal netted a crucial goal against France, propelling Spain into the Euro 2024 final and marking his arrival on the global stage. Monfort humorously compared the moment to a creation myth, later joking with Mounir that perhaps it was Lamine who had given Messi life.
Unicef confirmed the photo’s authenticity, recognizing its importance in July 2026. The absurdity of the situation intensified when Argentina triumphed over England. This image became the first representation of the poster stars of the world’s largest sporting event, prompting a surge of inquiries directed at Monfort.
Recently, Lamine Yamal was shown the photograph. “I’ve grown a little bit … and so has Leo,” Although it still felt improbable, if divine intervention had guided them this far, why not continue? Much has unfolded, and events have aligned fortuitously: instead of meeting in the Finalissima scheduled for March, they would clash in the World Cup final. Yamal smiled at the picture, reminiscing, “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”
Their paths have intersected publicly, under immense pressure and high expectations. The subsequent time Lamine Yamal appeared in a photo with Messi was at Barcelona’s training ground. He was still quite young, around 11 or 12, while Messi had already established himself as a football icon. This meeting was a fan encounter with the world’s best player; however, Lamine Yamal had evolved from just a boy from Catalonia who won a draw. Discovered while playing for CF La Torreta in Mataró, he secured a place at La Masia. He recalls feeling the stirrings of fame when, at 13, he experienced exposure in the park, already recognized as the kid from Barcelona.
Messi understands this evolution profoundly, and their shared experiences delve deeper than mere coincidence. Messi arrived in Catalonia from Argentina at the age of 12, famously signing his first contract on a napkin at the Pompeia tennis club. Lamine Yamal, born to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother, was raised in Catalonia. He proudly represents Rocafonda’s 08304 postcode whenever he scores. This neighborhood faces economic challenges, with approximately half the residents at risk of poverty and about 20% of Moroccan descent, where he played in the gravel plaza of Joan XXIII. Although he could have chosen to represent Morocco, he was resolute in selecting Spain. Messi faced a similar dilemma but opted for Argentina, holding onto a nation that initially took time to embrace him but now adores him.
“I would like to be everything that everyone wants me to be,” Lamine Yamal has stated. When discussing Messi, he often seems to choose his words carefully, rarely mentioning him directly. When he does speak about Messi, it carries a tone of respect and admiration, recognizing the Argentine as the finest player in history, though not with the same enthusiasm displayed when discussing Neymar. This may be intentional, as both share sponsorships—competing with Messi is unwise. Yet, there’s a simpler truth: Neymar was his idol, the player he felt the strongest connection with.
In Lamine Yamal’s character, background, and even playing style, there are more echoes of Neymar than Messi—infused with joy, flair, mischief, and a sparkle in his eye. “Thing is, people want you to score 100 goals at 16. I would like to as well.” he declares. He was just seven when he first witnessed Neymar at Camp Nou; while Messi was also present, Neymar’s charisma captivated him. That was the football that resonated with Yamal, as he identified with a player who balanced street flair with technical skill. It was Neymar he admired in videos, Neymar he sought to emulate, and Neymar he visited last summer in Brazil.
And Messi stands as a benchmark for him.
No pressure, kid. “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,” Lamine Yamal confidently stated before the semi-final, as he celebrated his upcoming 19th birthday and embraced the spotlight. Earlier this season, he celebrated his goals with his own coronation gesture, and while there were moments he felt the weight of expectations, mentioning an “I knew that [comparison] question was coming” he has confronted that pressure head-on and claimed it as his own. “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,” his headband proclaims. Above all, he has risen to the challenge.
“There are geniuses, those who are touched by God’s wand and there are few of those: Lamine or Messi.” he expressed in the spring. “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 has netted more than 50 goals. He holds the record as Barcelona’s youngest debutant and their youngest goalscorer, a title previously held by Messi. “There is a new generation of players that’s very good and has many years ahead,” he acknowledged, noting, “If I had to choose one, it would be Lamine. Without doubt, he’s the best.” yet the parallels remain.
If there’s a Lamine Yamal goal, and there certainly is, it often resembles one of Messi’s early strikes. “If we meet on the pitch there will be mutual respect because for me he is the best in history.” remarked Jorge Valdano, a former Argentina international. Xavi Hernández, who handed Lamine Yamal his Barcelona debut, was equally hesitant to make comparisons but found it difficult to avoid. De la Fuente asserts: “There are geniuses, those who are touched by God’s wand, and there are few of those: Lamine or Messi.” Lamine Yamal made his World Cup debut at 18, wearing the number 19. Two decades earlier, Messi had done the same: same age, same number.
There is an evolution on the horizon as well. In a recent interview with El País, Lamine Yamal indicated that both he and Messi often find themselves marked by three defenders, suggesting he will likely 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 stated.
Messi will celebrate his 40th birthday in June 2027, and Lamine Yamal asserted he wouldn’t still be playing at that age. That future seems distant, and who can predict what he will think then? The rapid changes that have occurred in his life are remarkable, happening even faster than Messi’s rise. One can’t help but speculate about what lies ahead and whether this new era will indeed belong to him. Once, Spaniards may have contemplated what might have happened if Messi had chosen to represent Spain; now, they can’t help but wonder if he might indeed become theirs in spirit. Out of respect, they must wait until Messi bids farewell. Until that moment, Messi has demonstrated throughout this tournament that no one compares.
Lamine Yamal, compared by De la Fuente to Michelangelo or Salvador Dalí, has already played 151 matches for Barcelona and secured three league titles. Achievements at his age seem almost surreal. When Messi was his age, he had participated in only 34 games and scored nine goals. Lamine Yamal celebrated a European Championship victory with Spain the day after turning 17 while juggling school exams, a feat Messi did not achieve until he was 34. Yet, since then, Messi has not looked back. The 2022 World Cup was believed to be his last, a man on a mission with an extraordinary narrative. Yet here he is again, pursuing his third World Cup final and aiming for a fourth consecutive international trophy at an age when many would have retired long ago.
And Lamine Yamal stands poised before him, already a victor at the threshold of his career: a symbolic passing of the torch that Messi may 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 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 time and presumably the last, they will meet on Sunday, in the most global city of all, in the World. Cup. Final. The symbolism is profound, and the reasons for this extraordinary encounter are hard to define.
Spain versus Argentina. European champions versus South American champions. Lionel Messi versus Lamine Yamal. The 19-year-old at his first World Cup, the same age Messi was when they first met, against the 39-year-old in what is likely his sixth and final tournament. The teenager who emerged to define a generation faces off against the teenager destined to shape the next, the young man who was gifted Messi’s No. 10 in a moment reminiscent of the past, the child in the bathtub.
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