The countdown to the ultimate World Cup showdown is on, and this time it’s two Barcelona legends going at it after years of history together. We’re talking, of course, about Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, 39, and rising Spanish star Lamine Yamal, 19.
As Messi prepares for what could be the final FIFA World Cup match of his legendary career, football fans can’t stop talking about one remarkable image that has come full circle. Nearly two decades after posing with a baby Lamine Yamal during a charity photoshoot in Barcelona, he is now preparing to face the teenage sensation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.
How did Lionel Messi end up posing with baby Lamine Yamal?
At Fanatics Fest in New York on Friday, July 17, 2026, the Argentina captain said he can hardly believe the unlikely full-circle moment. When fellow legend Tom Brady mentioned the photo, Messi said: “Honestly, that photo is crazy because, well, I took a picture with him when he was a baby in my life and today we are both facing in a World Cup.”
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