Messi and 2007 photo of baby Lamine Yamal reunite ahead of World Cup final

Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup final where Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal—now 39 and 19 respectively—feature on opposite sides, and a 2007 photograph showing a young Messi holding baby Lamine has resurfaced and drawn attention ahead of the match.

The image was taken in Barcelona’s Camp Nou away dressing room after Lamine Yamal’s family won a competition run by Catalan newspaper Sport and UNICEF, earning a professional photo with a first-team player. Joan Monfort, who took the photographs, later said Messi appeared unsure how to hold the infant, while Lamine’s mother Sheila Ebana assisted during the shoot.

Lamine Yamal’s parents, Mounir Nasraoui and Sheila Ebana, had emigrated to Catalonia; their son was among the winners paired randomly with Messi on the day. Monfort recounted that Messi adapted professionally despite his introversion, and that the family were welcoming during the session.

By 2007 Messi wore number 19 for Barcelona and had not yet taken the club’s iconic number 10 shirt, which he inherited the following year. Lamine Yamal, whose full name is Lamine Yamal Naraoui Ebana and who uses his first names on his shirts, has reached 19 having already scored 56 career goals and won La Liga three times and the Copa del Rey once, according to the original report.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The resurfaced photographs document an early, incidental encounter between two players who would later both reach elite levels at Barcelona and internationally, and the images have been used by fans and commentators to underline that connection without introducing new claims beyond the original account.

Photographer Joan Monfort described the story as a fitting cycle for both careers and noted the emotional resonance of seeing the two careers intersect again on the World Cup stage.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Photograph taken in 2007 shows a young Lionel Messi holding baby Lamine Yamal at Camp Nou.
• Photo session resulted from a competition by Sport newspaper and UNICEF won by Yamal’s family.
• Joan Monfort, the photographer, and Lamine’s mother Sheila Ebana provided details of the shoot; Messi was reported as initially unsure how to hold the baby.