Mikel Merino Reflects on 2007 Photo of Young Messi with Lamine Yamal Ahead of World Cup Final
Spain’s Mikel Merino shared his surprise this week upon seeing viral photos of a young Lionel Messi bathing five-month-old Lamine Yamal during a charity calendar photoshoot for UNICEF in 2007. “The first time I saw it, I thought it was AI and that it wasn’t even real,” Merino remarked on Friday.
These authentic photos resurfaced just ahead of the World Cup final, where Messi’s Argentina will face Yamal’s Spain on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (3 p.m. ET; Fox).
When asked about the coincidental connection between their past encounter and their showdown for a World Cup title nearly two decades later, Messi expressed his astonishment at the situation. “He is one of the best players in the world right now, so I wish him the best. He’s only 19 years old and he has all of his future ahead,” Messi noted during Friday’s pre-final press conference. “That picture, it was crazy. Him as a baby, and now we are facing each other. What a crazy picture. I just wish him the best of luck.”
Messi also mentioned that he has been following Yamal’s impressive rise with Barcelona, a club he still holds dear. He acknowledged that while the young star is presented with a remarkable opportunity in the World Cup, Messi and his teammates are determined to thwart that ambition.
“It’s crazy. He’s one of the best in the world right now, no doubt about it,” Messi added. “And I wish him a lot of luck, because what’s good for him will also be good for Barcelona.”
Chance encounter through a raffle
The memorable encounter took place in December 2007, when a 20-year-old Messi was introduced to five-month-old Yamal during a charity photoshoot organized by Barcelona’s foundation and the Spanish sports newspaper Diario Sport. This annual event featured players photographed with children.
Freelance photographer Joan Monfort explained to The Associated Press in 2024 that the Yamal family won a raffle held in conjunction with UNICEF for their son to take a picture with a Barcelona player, unaware of the significance it would hold in the future.
Yamal was accompanied by his mother in the visiting locker room at Camp Nou in the fall of 2007, where a plastic bathtub filled with soapy water awaited the baby. Messi, who was still an emerging talent, felt uncertain about interacting with the infant, as Monfort recounted.
The images resurfaced online two years ago when Yamal’s father shared a post on Instagram, captioned, “the beginning of two legends.”
By that time, Messi had established himself in professional soccer, having already won two league titles and the Champions League. Seven years later, Yamal joined Barcelona’s distinguished La Masia youth academy, paving his path toward a professional career.
In April 2023, at just 15 years old, Yamal made his debut for Barcelona, donning the iconic No. 10 jersey previously worn by Messi. Five months later, he earned a call-up to Spain’s national team and contributed significantly to La Roja’s victory at Euro 2024.
“This has exploded all over the world, and the fact that the final is in the U.S. has given it the extra push,” Monfort told the AP this week. “And now this has culminated with the final between Messi and Yamal. It is better than any film script.”