Messi and Yamal to meet in World Cup final, 19 years after iconic baby bath photo

Lamine Yamal's remarkable rise continues as the Barcelona sensation aims to add the World Cup to his European Championship triumph at just 19—but Argentina and Lionel Messi, who once "blessed" him as an infant, stand in his way.

The Spain and Barcelona prodigy can etch his name into footballing folklore by winning the World Cup as a European champion at the age of 19, though Argentina and Lionel Messi are the final obstacle in his path.

Yamal firmly announced himself on the biggest stage at Euro 2024, where the La Masia graduate shattered multiple records—becoming the youngest player in tournament history at just 16 years and 338 days.

Now he has the chance to complete a clean sweep of major international silverware when he lines up against Argentina on Sunday. The Barça star arrived at the World Cup carrying an injury and took time to find his rhythm, but he was back to his dazzling best in Spain's semi-final victory over France. Meanwhile, Messi delivered a masterclass in the final 20 minutes against England, unpicking Thomas Tuchel's low block with surgical precision.

The two have never faced each other on the pitch—but that will change on Sunday. Yet they were already acquainted, even if neither was aware of it at the time.

Nearly two decades ago, a 20-year-old Messi took part in a photoshoot for Spanish publication Diario Sport to raise funds for charities including UNICEF. During the session, the future World Cup winner cradled baby Yamal and even bathed him as part of the images captured by photographer Joan Monfort.

What Messi could never have predicted was that the child would grow up to represent Barcelona as well—and eventually become a global sensation in his own right. Fans, however, believe the man renowned for his extraordinary vision on the pitch demonstrated the same gift off it, by "blessing" Yamal from the very start.

One supporter wrote on X that other children would be envious they weren't "blessed" by the superstar. Another remarked: "Messi holding baby Yamal. The guy was blessed by the OG from young—special things to come..."

Monfort later reflected on how the shoot unfolded, telling The Athletic: "It was a difficult photo to take. I can say I sweated blood to get it.

"Messi is still shy now; he was much more shy when he was starting out, and there he is with a tiny baby in a plastic bath full of water—and with his mother. At first, there wasn't much interaction. It was tough for all of them. But bit by bit, it came together, and in the end, it's a pretty good photo."

Describing the reaction after the images went viral—sparked by Yamal's father sharing them on social media—Monfort added: "It's something incredible.

"Back then, nobody could have imagined that this baby would become who he is now—and you couldn't have known that Messi would become who he became either. We're talking about 2007. Messi was only just beginning at Barça. Destiny plays an important role in these things."

He continued: "It's a one-in-a-million chance that this could happen. It's such good fortune. These days, it happens a bit more because people have phones and share photos, but this is like the photo of [Pep] Guardiola as a kid applauding Terry Venables being carried on players' shoulders. When Venables died, Pep posted that image."