If you haven’t seen the image, you might not believe it, but it’s true. Argentine legend Lionel Messi once had his picture taken with baby Lamine Yamal after Yamal’s family won a UNICEF charity raffle for a photoshoot with the Barcelona star at one of the world’s most iconic football stadiums. And as luck would have it, almost 20 years later, the young Spanish prodigy and the iconic number-10 are set to share the football’s biggest stage.
As the story goes, in September 2007, a 20-year-old Lionel Messi took part in a charity photoshoot organized by FC Barcelona and UNICEF.
Among the families selected for the event was that of six-month-old Lamine Yamal, whose parents had won the opportunity to meet a Barcelona player. By chance, they were paired with Messi.
At the time, Messi was a rising star beginning his journey to football greatness, while Yamal was just a baby. Nearly two decades later, those photos have become iconic, often described by fans as “the baptism of Lamine Yamal.”
Now 19, Yamal has emerged as one of football’s brightest young talents, drawing global attention with his performances for Spain and FC Barcelona.
The remarkable image of a young Messi holding baby Yamal has become a powerful symbol of football’s changing generations.
