A Fateful Photo Shoot
A photograph taken nearly two decades ago by Joan Monfort, capturing a teenage Lionel Messi bathing an infant Lamine Yamal, has gained significant attention as the two players prepare to face each other in the World Cup final. Monfort, a freelance photojournalist, initially did not foresee the future significance of the images, which were part of a charity calendar produced in 2007 by a local newspaper and UNICEF.
The photo shoot occurred after Yamal’s mother won a raffle for families in Mataró, near Barcelona, to participate in the calendar. This pairing of the future football stars has since been described as an extraordinary coincidence, with Monfort noting that he is beginning to question his disbelief in destiny.
From Bathtub to World Cup Final
The images, showing a young Messi with soap suds on his hands, have been widely discussed in the lead-up to the final match where Messi’s Argentina will play Yamal’s Spain. The photograph, which was largely forgotten, resurfaced during the 2024 European Championship when Yamal’s father posted it on social media. Its popularity surged again with the impending World Cup final.
Messi commented on the photo, calling it “crazy” that he once held Yamal as a baby and now they are competing against each other in the final. He expressed his good wishes for Yamal, acknowledging his talent and bright future in the sport.
Mikel Merino, a teammate of Yamal’s on the Spanish national team, initially thought the photo was AI-generated due to its improbable nature. He expressed his amazement at the image, hoping for a memorable final featuring both players.
A Shared Legacy and Divided Loyalties
The story highlights the parallel trajectories of both players, particularly their connections to Barcelona. Messi departed the club in 2021, while Yamal emerged as a star for Barcelona two years later. Despite their shared history, circumstances have largely kept them apart since the initial photo shoot, with a brief chance encounter near a training ground being one of the few instances.
Monfort, a lifelong Barcelona supporter, finds himself with divided loyalties for the final, torn between his admiration for Messi, whom he considers the greatest player of all time, and Yamal, who represents a new generation and a diverse Spain. The photographer is considering traveling to New Jersey to watch the final.
The probability of Messi and Yamal appearing in the photos together and later meeting in a World Cup final has been a topic of discussion on social media, with some estimates suggesting it is incredibly unlikely. Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, also reflected on the coincidence, suggesting that perhaps Yamal was the one imparting talent to Messi.
Monfort recounted the difficulty of the 2007 photo shoot, noting Messi’s shyness at the time with a baby in a plastic bath. He also mentioned that at the time, no one could have predicted the future success of either player. The photographer said that the chances of all these events unfolding were like winning the lottery, though it has not secured his financial future.
Yamal, who joined Barcelona’s youth system at a young age, has often been compared to Messi, though he has consistently avoided such comparisons. He stated in April 2025 that he prefers to follow his own path. Messi’s camp has also maintained that his talents are unique and his achievements unrepeatable, making the idea of an ‘heir’ less relevant to them.
The two players were scheduled to meet in a Finalissima exhibition game in Qatar in March, but the match was canceled. The World Cup‘s new seeding system ensured that Spain and Argentina could only meet in the final if both teams topped their groups.
When Yamal was given Barcelona’s No. 10 shirt in July last year, there was no collaboration with Messi, partly due to Messi’s complex relationship with the club’s leadership following his 2021 exit. Yamal’s exceptional performances this past club season, with 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 games for Barcelona, indicate that the iconic jersey has not burdened him.
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Source: apnews.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.