Lionel Messi Once Bathed Baby Lamine Yamal 2007—Now They Meet in World Cup Final/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will face each other in Sunday’s World Cup final nearly two decades after appearing together in a now-famous photograph. Photographer Joan Monfort captured a teenage Messi bathing baby Yamal during a 2007 charity calendar photo shoot in Barcelona. The remarkable image has gained worldwide attention as Messi’s Argentina prepares to play Yamal’s Spain for soccer’s biggest prize.
Quick Look
- Argentina and Spain will meet in Sunday’s World Cup final.
- Lionel Messi, 39, will face 19-year-old Spanish star Lamine Yamal.
- Messi was photographed bathing baby Yamal in a plastic tub in 2007.
- Joan Monfort took the pictures for a charity calendar organized by Sport and UNICEF.
- Yamal’s family was selected through a raffle involving families from Mataró, Spain.
- Yamal’s father shared one of the photographs during the 2024 European Championship.
- The image went viral as Yamal helped Spain win the European title.
- Interest in the pictures has surged before the Messi-Yamal World Cup final.
- Spain midfielder Mikel Merino initially thought the famous image had been created with AI.
- Barcelona supporters are divided between their affection for club legend Messi and rising star Yamal.
- The World Cup final will take place in New Jersey.
Deep Look
Messi and Yamal Complete a Remarkable Journey
BARCELONA, Spain — Nearly two decades before Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal became opponents in a World Cup final, the two soccer stars appeared together in a charity photograph that now seems almost impossible.
Photographer Joan Monfort captured the image in 2007. It showed a teenage Messi bathing baby Yamal in a small plastic bathtub, with the future Argentine great’s hands covered in soap suds.
At the time, Monfort had no reason to think the photo shoot would become an extraordinary part of soccer history.
Yamal grew up to become one of the sport’s most exciting young players, creating an unlikely connection between two generations of Barcelona stars.
On Sunday, Messi will lead Argentina against Yamal’s Spain with the World Cup title at stake.
“I have never been a believer or thought that anything was destined to occur, but I am beginning to have my doubts. This is beyond all reasonable explanations,” Monfort told The Associated Press from his Barcelona home Friday.
A Charity Calendar Created the Famous Photo
Monfort, a freelance photojournalist who works for The Associated Press, took the photographs for a 2007 charity calendar produced by Barcelona-based newspaper Sport and UNICEF.
Yamal’s mother, who also appears in the calendar image, participated after winning a raffle for families in Mataró, a city near Barcelona.
The baby was randomly paired with Messi, then a young Barcelona player whose place among soccer’s greatest stars was still taking shape.
Yamal would make his own breakthrough at Barcelona approximately 15 years later, following a path that few could have predicted when the photograph was taken.
From Barcelona Bathtub to World Cup Final
Messi spent most of his career at Barcelona and became the greatest player in the club’s history.
He left the team in tears in 2021 as Barcelona struggled with severe financial problems. Two years later, Yamal emerged as the club’s latest teenage sensation.
Their parallel journeys have now led them to the World Cup final. The 19-year-old Yamal will face Messi, who is 20 years older, with Argentina and Spain competing for the sport’s most prestigious trophy.
The viral photographs have become a symbol of soccer’s transition from an established legend to a potential successor.
Photo Resurfaced During Euro 2024
Monfort said he had forgotten about the photo shoot until Yamal’s father shared one of the images on social media during the 2024 European Championship.
Yamal was enjoying his international breakthrough at the time and eventually helped Spain win the European title.
The photograph quickly went viral, astonishing fans who saw a young Messi sharing an intimate family moment with a baby who would later become an international soccer star.
Interest has increased dramatically now that Messi and Yamal are preparing to oppose each other in the World Cup final.
“This has exploded all over the world, and the fact that the final is in the U.S. has given it the extra push,” Monfort said. “And now this has culminated with the final between Messi and Yamal. It is better than any film script.”
Photographer Raises Concerns About Unauthorized Use
Monfort said he has received a flood of requests for the images from professional news organizations ahead of the final.
He has also seen the photographs copied and shared repeatedly across social media platforms and websites without attribution or payment.
The images’ widespread use reflects the global fascination with the coincidence, but it has also raised concerns about proper credit and compensation for the photographer who created them.
Spain Player Initially Thought Photo Was AI
Spain midfielder Mikel Merino reacted to the photograph in much the same way as many soccer supporters.
“The first time I saw it, I thought it was AI and that it wasn’t even real,” Merino said Friday.
“It’s unbelievable that two of the best players to have played the game — and hopefully Lamine, in the future, will be one of those — share a picture like that. Hopefully we’re going to see a very bright final with those two protagonists at their best, playing and giving all the fans a great spectacle.”
The apparent improbability of the image has led some viewers to question whether it was authentic, particularly in an era when artificial intelligence can produce convincing fabricated photographs.
The image, however, was taken years before Yamal became famous.
Barcelona Fans Divided Between Messi and Yamal
The Argentina-Spain final presents an emotional dilemma for many Barcelona supporters.
Messi remains deeply loved in the city after spending the most successful years of his career with the club. Yamal, meanwhile, represents Barcelona’s future and has already become a central figure for Spain.
Children in Barcelona can often be seen wearing Yamal shirts representing either the club or the Spanish national team. Messi jerseys from Barcelona, Argentina and Inter Miami also remain common throughout the city.
Monfort, a lifelong Barcelona supporter, said he was considering traveling to New Jersey for the final. Whether he watches from the stadium or at home, he expects to find it difficult to support one side.
“My heart is split. I don’t know if I want Messi or Yamal to win,” said Monfort, 58.
“I have an everlasting love for the best player of all time (Messi),” he said, but “Yamal has broken the mould here” and represents a new, diverse Spain through his family’s roots in Morocco and Equatorial Guinea.
“Maybe they can both win. I wouldn’t rule it out after everything we have seen.”
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