Lionel Messi described a viral photograph of him bathing a six-month-old Lamine Yamal as "crazy" ahead of their World Cup final showdown. Argentina's victory over England has set up a match against Spain on Sunday, which will pit the veteran captain against the 19-year-old Spanish sensation.
The resurfaced image, taken in 2007 as part of a charity photoshoot for local newspaper Diario Sport and UNICEF, shows a then-20-year-old Messi helping to bathe Yamal in a blue plastic bathtub. The photos were later shared on social media by Yamal's father with the caption, "The beginning of two legends."
Speaking at Fanatics Fest in New York City, two days before the final, Messi was asked by NFL icon Tom Brady about the images. "That picture, it was crazy. Him as a baby, and now we are facing each other... so once again what a crazy picture," Messi said.
He added his best wishes for Yamal, acknowledging him as "one of the best players in the world right now" and a player with his "whole future ahead." Messi also noted that Yamal is part of the Barcelona squad. "We will try to give them [Spain] the best match possible, [but] Lamine is not the only great player that Spain has. So again we will give it our all," he stated.
The original photos were taken by freelance photojournalist Joan Monfort. Monfort remarked on the unlikely nature of the event, suggesting it was "beyond all reasonable explanations."
Yamal's mother was selected by lottery to participate in the calendar shoot with her then six-month-old son. Coincidentally, her baby boy would go on to become a star for Barcelona, and now faces off against Messi, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, in a World Cup final.
Messi, now 39, is leading Argentina to their second consecutive World Cup final, while Yamal, at 19, has already achieved significant success, including European championship titles and multiple Spanish league titles with Barcelona. Many see Yamal as a potential successor to Messi's legacy.
