Messi and Yamal... From Bathing to World Cup Final

The World Cup final, to be held next Sunday, will bring together the greatest football player in history and the heir to his throne on the right wing of Spanish club Barcelona.

This clash between Lionel Messi /39 years old/ and Lamine Yamal /19 years old/ will be the most important sporting event, and an indicator of Messi's perseverance and Yamal's exceptional talent.

But the 2026 World Cup final will not be the first meeting between them.

Rather, their first encounter dates back to 2007, when Messi was a young player at Barcelona aged 20, while Yamal was a baby only five months old.

Photographer Juan Monfort documented this meeting in a series of photos that resurfaced two years ago when Yamal shone in Spain's victory at Euro 2024. His father posted one of the photos online with the caption "The beginning of two legends."

In the photos, Messi appears smiling while holding a small child during his bath, and later that small child would incredibly follow in his footsteps.

Monfort told BBC Sport: "It is truly a miracle of fate, a happy coincidence to find something more special than I could have imagined. If this were written as a movie script, it would not have been possible."

He added: "Messi had no idea what he was doing with a baby," noting: "The photo session took place in the away team's dressing room at Camp Nou, the home ground of Barcelona."

Yamal was born to a Moroccan father, Mounir Nasraoui, and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, Sheila Ebana, who met after moving to Catalonia as children with their families.

Yamal is the eldest child, and shortly after his birth, his parents Mounir and Sheila participated in a lottery organized by the Catalan newspaper Sport in collaboration with UNICEF, the international children's charity, which was the sponsor of Barcelona's shirt.

It was decided to take professional photos of the children who won the lottery with one of the stars of Barcelona's first team. Yamal was among the winners, and when his family arrived, they were coincidentally paired with Messi.

Monfort said: "I did not know that Yamal was the one in the photo until a friend contacted me in 2024, informing me that his parents had posted the photos on Instagram."

The photographer recalled the event, saying: "Messi is an introverted and shy person. He entered the dressing room and suddenly found himself having to take these photos with a small child. His expression changed, and he seemed nervous as if he didn't know what he was doing."

The comparison between the two continued: Messi scored 11 goals in his career and won La Liga once and the Champions League once by the age of 19.

Yamal, at the same age, turning 19 on Monday, has scored 56 goals, won La Liga three times, the Copa del Rey once, plus the 2024 European Championship.

Yamal is not the young player's surname but the second part of his first name. His full name is Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, and he wears the first two names on the back of his shirt with Barcelona and Spain in honor of two people who helped his family at his birth.

It has been reported in Spanish media that Yamal's father promised to name him after two friends who provided financial support to the family during a difficult financial crisis.

As for Monfort, a Catalan who supports Barcelona, the meeting of Messi and Yamal in the World Cup final represents for him the final chapter of an ideal story that began about 20 years ago.

He said: "I think it's a happy ending to Messi's football career. I support Barcelona, and I believe Messi winning the World Cup would be a perfect scenario for him, and he deserves it."

The Catalan photographer concluded: "As for Yamal, he has many years ahead to win the World Cup, but the Spanish national team and Yamal are in a wonderful state recently. If they win the World Cup, it will be among his most precious titles. It's difficult; I feel my heart is torn between them."