A historic image returned to circulation with intensity on the eve of a crucial moment in world football. The 2007 photograph shows Lionel Messi, then a young player, bathing a baby who, years later, would reveal himself as Lamine Yamal, the great promise of the new generation of Spanish football. The reappearance of the photo highlights the extraordinary trajectory of both athletes.
The possibility of a clash between the two stars is approaching, with the 2026 World Cup final scheduled for this Sunday, the 19th, at 4pm. For the reunion to take place on the field, Messi’s Argentine team must first overcome England in the semi-final, which takes place this Wednesday, the 19th. If Argentina advances, Messi’s team will face Yamal’s Spain in the tournament’s final.
How the photograph that unites football legends came about
The original record was captured at a time when Lionel Messi was just 19 years old, beginning his professional career at Barcelona. At that moment, it was unthinkable that that young athlete would become one of the greatest figures in the history of football, just as the baby in his arms would also reach the status of a global star.
Juan Monfort, the photographer responsible for the image, reported having only remembered the work last week. A friend contacted him to check if the photo was his, and he confirmed it, but without recognizing the child. It was then that the friend revealed that the baby was Lamine Yamal.
The purpose of the photographic production was a charity calendar for a Spanish newspaper, the result of a collaboration between Barcelona and Unicef, the United Nations Children’s Fund. Local families participated in a draw, and little Lamine Yamal was selected for the shoot alongside the then promising Messi.
Monfort comments on that period: “Messi was still a boy who was just starting to play. He had potential, but he wasn’t yet the Messi we know. He wasn’t as precocious as Lamine Yamal”, recalls the photographer.
Lamine Yamal was born and raised in the Rocafonda neighborhood, in the city of Mataró, which is close to Barcelona. Son of an Equatorial Guinea mother and a Moroccan father, he developed his skills in Barcelona’s youth ranks, quickly becoming a phenomenon.
The striker set a series of precocity records for both the Catalan club and the Spanish national team. This meteoric rise established him as one of the most relevant names in world football even in his adolescence.
When revisiting the photo essay from almost two decades ago, Juan Monfort made a humorous observation about the strong symbolism of the image.
“A friend of mine commented that Messi was, in a way, a prophet that day”, concludes Monfort.
