What Did Messi Say About That Historic Photo With Yamal?
By now, the incredible story of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal’s first meeting is well known. Messi helped bathe a five-month-old Yamal as part of a charity photoshoot in Barcelona in December 2007. The coincidence is so extraordinary that it is hard to believe, even with the irrefutable photographic evidence before our eyes.
Now, like something from a fairy tale, Messi and Yamal are meeting again — but this time not at a photoshoot. They are meeting for the first time on a football pitch, in the grand final of the World Cup, as Spain and Argentina face off at MetLife Stadium.
This is likely to be the last appearance on the global stage for the 39-year-old Messi — his last chance to add a fourth World Cup star to the Argentina jersey. Yamal, at just 19, is now Spain’s brightest star. Like Messi, he has the ability to inspire his team to win a World Cup title. Over the years since that first photograph, the youngster has also established himself as the most worthy successor to Messi’s legendary legacy at Barcelona.
Speaking in New York about the historic photograph, Messi said, “To be honest, that photo of us is crazy. Because that’s life, right? We took a photo when we were kids, and today we’re both standing face to face in the World Cup final!”
Messi also spoke warmly about the young Barcelona star, saying, “Lamine is an incredible talent. I follow him very closely because he plays for a club that I love, and I always wish him well. At just 19 years old, he has reached one of the highest levels in world football and he has his whole career ahead of him. He has a great opportunity to make history — but we will do our best to make sure he doesn’t do that this time. I can only wish him the best.”
The Argentine captain added, “It’s really incredible. Without a doubt, he is one of the best players in the world right now. I wish him success, because if he does well, it means Barcelona does well.”
The Probability of a Miracle
Social media has been buzzing with calculations about the mathematical probability of Messi and Yamal appearing together in that 2007 photoshoot and then facing each other in a World Cup final nearly two decades later. Some estimates put the odds at one in 48 billion. What is certain is that the probability of such a thing happening was nothing short of miraculous — and yet, as unbelievable as it seems, it is now absolutely true.
The photographs resurfaced during the 2024 European Championship, when Yamal’s father, Munir Nasraoui, posted them online. “In life, coincidences happen,” Nasraoui told Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, as Spain prepared for the Euro 2024 final against England on July 14 — a match they won 2-1, played the day after Yamal’s 17th birthday.
Many people commented on the picture, saying that Messi had blessed his future successor with his divine touch. Yamal’s father, however, had the opposite take. He joked, “Maybe it was Lamine who gave Leo that touch of talent. To me, my son is the best — in everything.”
The Photographer’s Story
The photographer who took the 2007 images shared the full story in an interview with The Athletic in 2024. Barcelona produced a charity calendar each year in collaboration with UNICEF and local newspaper Diario Sport, and the shoot was part of that annual project.
Photographer Joana Monfort said she “had to shed blood” to get the shot. Messi was only 20 years old at the time and was, by nature, very shy. When the shoot began and Messi suddenly found himself in front of a tiny baby in a plastic tub full of water, the connection between them did not come easily.
“In the beginning, there was no connection between them,” she said. “But gradually, the momentum started to build and eventually a pretty good picture emerged. Back then, no one could have imagined that this child would one day reach where he is today — and no one knew what heights Messi himself would reach.”
She added, “We are talking about 2007. Messi was just starting his career at Barca. Luck plays a huge role in these kinds of events. The chances of all of this happening were as miraculous as winning the lottery — although, I should say, this shoot did not make me particularly lucky financially.”
Perhaps the strangest detail of all is that since that moment in 2007, the two have followed almost parallel paths through football history — and yet, until now, they have never crossed paths again.
