Historic photo of Messi and "baby" Yamal draws attention as both reach final

A photograph of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal taken together in 2007 has become hugely popular. Argentina captain Lionel Messi has described the photograph as astonishing and hard to believe.

After that photograph, taken for a UNICEF charity calendar, the meeting of Yamal, now 19, and Messi, now 39, in a World Cup final will mark a notable moment in football history.

The photograph was taken at Barcelona's ground in 2007 for a calendar jointly produced by local newspaper Sport and UNICEF. Yamal became a Barcelona star 16 years later, making the photograph of him as a baby alongside Messi all the more remarkable.

Speaking about the photograph, Messi described it as astonishing, saying it was hard to believe that, having been photographed together when Yamal was a baby, the two players would now be playing in a World Cup final.

Speaking at a FIFA event in New York, Messi said Yamal was one of the best players in the world today and wished him success. However, Messi said Argentina would work to prevent him from playing at his best in the final.

Joan Monfort, the photographer who took the picture, said the attention it was receiving had increased enormously and that the story was more perfect than any film script. Meanwhile, Mikel Merino, who plays alongside Yamal for Spain, said that when he first saw the photograph, he thought it was a fake created using artificial intelligence (AI).

Messi has scored 8 goals and provided 4 assists in the tournament so far. This will be his third World Cup final, following those in 2014 and 2022. He is currently level with Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament's leading goalscorer.

Spain and Argentina had previously been scheduled to meet in a Finalissima match, but it was cancelled because of unrest in the Middle East. This will therefore be the first time Messi and Yamal face each other at international level.

The 2026 World Cup final is not just a battle for the trophy. It will be one of the most exciting encounters between two stars connected by a historic bond, reflecting a generational shift in football. Messi's experience and Yamal's youthful talent will make this final a superb match that football supporters will find impossible to forget. The two players will meet in the World Cup final tomorrow night at 12:00 midnight Maldives time.