World Cup final 2026: The remarkable photos of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal's first meeting as they prepare to face off

Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal go head to head in Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, 19 years after their first meeting was captured in a remarkable series of photographs by Joan Monfort

Saturday 18 July 2026 11:59, UK

Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will play against each other for the first time when Argentina face Spain in Sunday's World Cup final.

The showpiece fixture pits the player considered by many to be the greatest of all-time against the pretender to his throne who now occupies his old position for Barcelona.

They are at opposite ends of their careers, separated in age by two decades, but remarkably, they first met 19 years ago, in 2007, when Messi was 20 and Lamine Yamal was a six-month-old.

The meeting occurred when Lamine Yamal's family won the chance to have their baby pictured with a Barcelona star as part of a charity photoshoot organised by Catalan newspaper Sport and Unicef.

Joan Monfort, whose images went viral after one of them was posted on Instagram by Lamine Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, alongside a caption reading "the beginning of two legends", as his son starred during Spain's triumphant European Championship-winning campaign in 2024.

"I felt very happy when I found out," Monfort told . "I'm happy that this photo has been seen around the world."

The images are circulating again ahead of Sunday's game in New Jersey, where Lamine Yamal's Spain stand in the way of Argentina retaining the World Cup in what is expected to be Messi's final appearance in the competition.

Messi heads into the game as Argentina's leader, having scored eight goals at the tournament and assisted two more in their semi-final win over England, but Monfort described him being out of his comfort zone, aged 20, when asked to pose with a baby.

"Messi is a very shy boy, very introverted," he added. "He is now and it was much more so before. It took a while for him to interact with a six-month-old baby.

"But in the end, the truth is that they both did a lot. Lamine was a very nice boy. He won Messi over in a short time."

The circumstances of their reunion on Sunday, 19 years after that extraordinary first meeting, could hardly be more different.

Messi: Crazy to face Lamine Yamal in World Cup final after baby photo

Messi says it is "crazy" to be preparing to face Lamine Yamal in the World Cup final after being photographed with him as a baby.

Speaking to Messi during a news conference in New York, NFL great Tom Brady described the photos as "very prophetic".

Messi said: "That photo is incredible. The fact that we're both playing in the World Cup now is crazy."

Lamine Yamal made his Barcelona debut at the age of 15 in 2023 before inheriting the number 10 shirt previously worn by Messi.

Following Euro 2024 glory with Spain, the 19-year-old could become the youngest player to win the European Championship and the World Cup.

"He's one of the best in the world right now," said 39-year-old Messi, now of Inter Miami.

"I wish him luck because his success will be Barcelona's success.

"We'll try to keep him from playing at his best. Spain has a great team, not just him.

"He's a tremendous player - a global star. He's 19 years old and has his whole career ahead of him. I wish him the best, but we'll give it our all to ensure he doesn't become champion this time."