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A photo of a 20-year-old Lionel Messi holding Spanish soccer star Lamine Yamal as a baby has resurfaced in the days before the two face each other in one of the biggest matches of their lives.
Barcelona-based photographer Joan Monfort took the famous picture in 2007 as part of a photoshoot for UNICEF. In the photo, Messi, now 39, is holding an infant Yamal, now 19, in his arms as he helps Yamal’s mother give him a bath.
Nearly 20 years later, Messi’s Argentina squad will take on Yamal’s Spain on Sunday, July 19, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup title match in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“I have never been a believer or thought that anything was destined to occur, but I am beginning to have my doubts,” Montfort told the Associated Press on Friday, July 17. “This is beyond all reasonable explanations.”
He added, “This has exploded all over the world, and the fact that the final is in the U.S. has given it the extra push. And now this has culminated with the final between Messi and Yamal. It is better than any film script.”
The viral photo came about when Yamal’s family won a raffle to pose with a Barcelona player for a 2008 UNICEF calendar, according to the agency. Messi played for Barcelona from 2004 to 2021.
In a full-circle moment, Yamal became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2026 and will use his platform to “advocate for every child’s right to play.”
“Growing up, all I had was a family, a ball, a park and a dream,” Yamal told UNICEF in June. “Playing football gave me structure, a sense of belonging, and hope for the future. I know how important it is for children to have a safe place to play, so that they can simply enjoy being children, discovering the world, imagining and growing.”
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As the viral photo, which became the calendar’s January image, continues to make the rounds, other players in the upcoming match expressed their surprise over the coincidence.
“The first time I saw it, I thought it was AI and that it wasn’t even real,” Spain’s Mikel Merino said Friday, per the AP. “It’s unbelievable that two of the best players to have played the game — and hopefully Lamine, in the future, will be one of those — share a picture like that. Hopefully we’re going to see a very bright final with those two protagonists at their best, playing and giving all the fans a great spectacle.”
As for Monfort, he is a lifelong Barcelona supporter, but has not decided who he will be rooting for on Sunday.
“My heart is split. I don’t know if I want Messi or Yamal to win,” he said.
