Messi hails 'incredible' Yamal photo ahead of World Cup final
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- Messi called the 2007 photo of him bathing infant Yamal "incredible," saying "the fact that we're both playing in the World Cup now is crazy" ahead of Sunday's final
- The photo was taken for a charity calendar at FC Barcelona's stadium by the local newspaper Sport and UNICEF, pairing Yamal with Messi 16 years before they would meet on soccer's biggest stage
- Yamal, now 19, faces 39-year-old Messi at the senior international level for the first time; Messi is playing in his third World Cup final (2014, 2022, 2026)
- Messi has recorded 8 goals and 4 assists in the 2026 tournament and is tied with Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot as Argentina attempt to become back-to-back World Cup champions
- Photographer Joan Monfort, who shot the original images, said the photo "has exploded all over the world" and called the final matchup "better than any film script"
- Spain's Mikel Merino said his first reaction to seeing the photos was believing "it was AI and that it wasn't even real," calling it "unbelievable"
- A planned Finalissima between Spain and Argentina in Qatar in March was canceled because of the Middle East conflict, making Sunday's match the confrontation that nearly happened months earlier
Why it matters: The photo's 19-year arc from a Barcelona charity calendar to the World Cup final gives Sunday's match a narrative that transcends typical finals. Argentina stand one win from back-to-back World Cup titles, while 19-year-old Yamal faces the legend who bathed him as an infant — a matchup Messi called "crazy" and the photographer called "better than any film script."
