Who would have imagined that the child who used to bathe in front of Messi would face him 19 years later in the World Cup final?
A rare image taken in 2007 has returned to the spotlight. It shows the Argentine star Lionel Messi holding the child Lamine Yamal and helping him during a charity photo session. After 19 years, that snapshot became the talk of fans, as Yamal became one of football’s brightest stars—only to find himself facing a historic encounter with Messi in the 2026 World Cup final. One picture summarized a journey that began in the bathtub and ended on the biggest football stage in the world.
A rare image taken in 2007 has returned to the spotlight. It shows the Argentine star Lionel Messi holding the child Lamine Yamal and helping him during a charity photo session. After 19 years, that snapshot became the talk of fans, as Yamal became one of football’s brightest stars—only to find himself facing a historic encounter with Messi in the 2026 World Cup final. One picture summarized a journey that began in the bathtub and ended on the biggest football stage in the world.