Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 18

Messi Hails 2007 Yamal Baby Photo as 39-Year-Old Prepares for 2026 World Cup Final

Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 18

Messi Hails 2007 Yamal Baby Photo as 39-Year-Old Prepares for 2026 World Cup Final

Q: Once mistaken for an AI fake, how did a 19-year-old photo script the most unbelievable World Cup final in history?

It became the most unbelievable World Cup final storyline because a real 2007 charity photo accidentally captured football’s past and future in one frame: a 20-year-old Lionel Messi bathing a baby Lamine Yamal, who is now 19 and about to face him for the first time in the 2026 final. The image was taken at Barcelona’s stadium for a UNICEF and Sport newspaper calendar after Yamal’s family won a raffle. For years it was obscure. When it resurfaced during Yamal’s rise, many struggled to believe it was genuine. Spain midfielder Mikel Merino said he initially thought it was AI-generated, and the disbelief only grew as Yamal developed into one of the game’s biggest young stars. What turns the photo from curiosity into history is the scale of what followed. Messi, now 39, is playing in his third World Cup final and chasing back-to-back titles with Argentina. Yamal, already a European champion with Spain and widely seen as Messi’s heir at Barcelona, arrives on the biggest stage at just 19. The final therefore carries a rare “passing of the torch” narrative, except the two players literally shared a moment nearly two decades earlier. Messi himself called the image “incredible” and “crazy,” while photographer Joan Monfort said the ending was “better than any film script.” That is why the photo now feels less like a coincidence than a prelude: it linked a legend and a prodigy long before either knew they would meet in a World Cup final.

Q: After praising him as a 'global star,' what is Argentina's plan to stop the 19-year-old phenom from becoming champion?

Argentina’s plan is not a Yamal-only scheme but a collective effort to stop Spain and keep the teenager from influencing the final. Messi made the approach clear after praising Yamal as a “global star”: Argentina will “try to keep him from playing at his best” and “give it our all to ensure he doesn’t become champion this time.” Beyond that, neither Messi nor coach Lionel Scaloni has publicly laid out a detailed tactical blueprint focused solely on the 19-year-old. What has emerged from the Argentine camp is a broader strategy centered on Spain’s overall threat. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez said the issue is “not just about Lamine,” stressing that Spain are a strong, hard-working team with multiple weapons. Scaloni has also framed Spain as a complete side rather than a one-man problem. So the practical answer is that Argentina intend to limit Yamal’s impact within a team defensive plan: reduce the space he gets, prevent him from receiving the ball in dangerous areas, and stop Spain collectively from controlling the match. Publicly, the message is respect for Yamal’s talent, but no sign of an exclusive man-marking plan or a special operation built only around him.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 18

Messi said the 2007 photo of him bathing baby Lamine Yamal is "incredible," calling it "crazy" that both are now set to meet in Sunday's World Cup final.
At FIFA's Fanatics Fest in New York, the 39-year-old praised the 19-year-old Spaniard as "one of the best in the world right now" while vowing Argentina would stop him from becoming champion.
The image came from a Barcelona charity calendar shot with UNICEF, and photographer Joan Monfort said global interest has surged further with the final being played in the U.S.
Messi enters his third World Cup final with eight goals and four assists, tied with Kylian Mbappe for the Golden Boot as Argentina chase back-to-back titles against Spain.