The Baby, the GOAT, and a Photo That Predicted the World Cup Final
When Argentina face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, the match carries a subplot almost too extraordinary to be scripted.
Lionel Messi, 39, and Lamine Yamal, 19, will meet on football's grandest stage. But their first encounter happened nearly two decades ago, when Yamal was five months old and Messi a shy 20-year-old unsure what to do with a baby.
Was the Meeting Between Messi and Yamal Really Just a Coincidence?
Entirely. The encounter happened during a charity photoshoot organised by Catalan newspaper Sport in conjunction with Unicef, inside the away dressing room at Camp Nou.
Yamal's family had won a raffle to participate and were paired with Messi by chance, with no prior connection between the two families.
How Did the Two Meet?
Yamal's parents, Morocco-born Mounir Nasraoui and Sheila Ebana from Equatorial Guinea, entered the raffle shortly after Lamine was born.
Winners received professional photographs with a Barcelona first-team player. Photographer Joan Monfort documented the session.
What Did Messi Make of the Encounter?
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According to BBC Sport, Monfort described Messi as introverted and visibly uncertain the moment he had to hold a baby.
Yamal was reportedly a happy, smiley baby. Messi composed himself quickly and saw the session through professionally.
When Did the World Realise What the Photos Meant?
The photographs resurfaced in 2024 when Yamal helped Spain win Euro 2024. His father posted one online with the caption "The beginning of two legends."
Monfort told BBC Sport he had no idea the baby in his photographs was Yamal until a friend called him that year.
How Does Yamal's Record at 19 Compare to Messi's?
Messi had scored 11 career goals by his 19th birthday. Yamal, who turned 19 this week, has already scored 56 goals, won La Liga three times, the Copa del Rey, and Euro 2024.
What Does the World Cup Final Mean for This Story?
For Monfort, now 58, Sunday's final feels like a closing of the circle.
Whether Messi or Yamal lifts the World Cup, the photograph taken in a Barcelona dressing room nearly two decades ago already tells its own story.
(With inputs from yMedia)