Credit: Charly TRIBALLEAU and Roberto SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images

(CNN)-- Argentine star Lionel Messi said that the famous photo of him with young Spanish player Lamine Yamal is 'amazing,' ahead of the 'Tango' taking on 'the Matador' in the 2026 World Cup final.

The photo shows Yamal as a baby in Messi's arms, and dates back to 2007 as part of a Barcelona Foundation charity campaign to raise funds for UNICEF.

Barcelona had said on its official website about this photo: 'By chance, a photo was taken of this infant - who was only a few months old - alongside someone widely regarded as the greatest player not only in the history of Barcelona, but in the history of the entire game.'

Messi, who was 20 years old at the time, is seen holding the infant Yamal, who was a few months old, in his arms, and years later this child became Messi's successor at Barcelona and the heir to the number 10 shirt.

They are set to face each other during the Argentina vs Spain match at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, in the final scene of the World Cup.

In comments reported by EuroSport on Saturday, Lionel Messi said: 'Lamine plays for a club I love and I always wish him the best. He is one of the most prominent players in the world, and at 19 years old, he has a promising career ahead. This is a great opportunity for him to achieve a historic feat (by winning the World Cup), which we will try to prevent this time.'

He added: 'That photo is amazing. It is rare in life to have a photo taken with a child and later face him in a World Cup. Honestly, it is incredible. There is no doubt he is one of the best players in the world right now, and I wish him all the best, because that will also benefit Barcelona.'

He continued: 'We will try to play a good match and prevent him from being at his best. Despite the difficulty of the task, we will take on the experience. He and the Spanish national team have wonderful players and a distinctive style of play, but we also have our own weapons.'