Defending champions Argentina are all set to face Spain in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They beat England 2-1 in a thrilling semi-final to book their spot. One of the most remarkable things about
the upcoming final is that Lionel Messi will come up against Lamine Yamal. The history between the two goes back almost a few decades back.
In December 2007, Messi, then 20 years old and just over three years into his Barcelona career, was photographed with five-month-old Lamine Yamal during a charity photoshoot organised by Barcelona's foundation and newspaper Diario Sport.
The photo was later published in a 2008 charity calendar, with the money raised going to UNICEF and other charities across Catalonia. As part of the yearly initiative, Barcelona players were photographed alongside children. Hundreds of families took part and most of the photos have now been forgotten. It just so happened that Yamal, who would go on to become Barcelona's star of the future, was paired with Messi, who would later win the Ballon d'Or eight times.
The bathing photo, along with several other images from the shoot, including one where Messi is seen cradling baby Yamal in a towel and another where Yamal's mother helps wash her son, returned to social media platforms after it was confirmed that Messi is set to face Lamal in the Final.
Lamine Yamal following the footsteps of Lionel Messi
Back in December 2007, Messi had already won two La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League, but he was still an emerging talent in a Barcelona squad featuring Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Thierry Henry. Around six-and-a-half years later, Yamal began travelling regularly from Mataro after joining Barcelona's La Masia academy in 2014.
His progress has been phenomenal. Yamal made his La Liga debut at the age of 15 in April 2023 and made his Spain debut at 16 later that year. He played a key role in Spain's Euro 2024 triumph and is now one of their biggest stars at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Messi had a huge legacy with Barcelona and now Lamine Yamal is set to take over the banton at Barcelona and has already made an impact. The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will mark the first time Messi and Yamal have ever faced each other on a football pitch.
