By Zoila Palma: An extraordinary football story will come full circle on Sunday when Argentina captain Lionel Messi faces Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Nearly 19 years ago, the pair unknowingly shared a memorable moment during a charity photoshoot, when a 20-year-old Messi was photographed bathing a five-month-old Yamal as part of a UNICEF-backed calendar organized by Spanish newspaper Diario Sport.
The photographs resurfaced in 2024 after Yamal emerged as one of world football’s brightest young stars during Spain’s UEFA Euro 2024 triumph.
Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared one of the images on social media with the caption, “The beginning of two legends.” Many initially believed the photo had been created using artificial intelligence, but its authenticity was later confirmed.
The photos were taken in 2007 by freelance photographer Joan Monfort after Yamal’s family won a UNICEF raffle to meet a Barcelona player at Camp Nou.
Monfort recalled that Messi, then a shy young star for Barcelona, was initially unsure how to hold the infant before posing for the now-iconic images alongside Yamal and his mother.
Now, the two footballers will meet for the first time as opponents in one of the sport’s biggest matches.
Messi, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and is widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, will face 19-year-old Yamal, who has dazzled throughout the 2026 tournament and is widely viewed as the future of the game.
The post International News: Messi and Yamal’s remarkable story comes full circle 19 years later appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: An extraordinary football story will come full circle on Sunday when Argentina captain Lionel Messi faces Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Nearly 19 years ago, the pair unknowingly shared a memorable moment during a charity photoshoot, when a 20-year-old Messi was photographed bathing a five-month-old
The post International News: Messi and Yamal’s remarkable story comes full circle 19 years later appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
