A picture of a 20-year-old Lionel Messi carrying a Spanish soccer star Lamine Yamal as the child woke up days before the two faced each other in one of the biggest games of their lives.
Photographer based in Barcelona Joan Monfort took the famous photo in 2007 as part of a UNICEF photoshoot. In the photo, Messi, now 39 years old, holds baby Yamal, now 19, in his arms as he helps Yamal's mother wash him.
Almost 20 years later, Messi's Argentina squad will face Spain's Yamal on Sunday, July 19, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup title match in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“I've never been a believer or thought that something was destined to happen, but I'm starting to doubt it,” Montfort told the newspaper. The Associated Press on Friday, July 17. “This is beyond all reasonable explanation.”
He added, “This has exploded around the world, and the fact that the final is in the US has given it even more momentum. And now it has culminated in the final between Messi and Yamal. It's better than any movie script.”
The viral photo happened when Yamal's family won a raffle to play with the Barcelona player in the 2008 UNICEF calendar, according to the agency. Messi played for Barcelona from 2004 to 2021.
In a full-circle moment, Yamal became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2026 and will use his platform to “advocate for every child's right to play.”
“Growing up, all I had was family, football, a park and a dream,” Yamal told UNICEF in June. “Playing football gave me structure, a sense of worth, and hope for the future.” I know how important it is for children to have a safe place to play, so they can enjoy being children, discover the world, think and grow.”
Argentine soccer player Lucas Trejo was with his wife for several years before she died in the devastating earthquake in Venezuela. In June 2026, news broke that Lucas' wife, Yanina, and their two children were reported missing after two earthquakes hit the area. Days later, Lucas' team, Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira, confirmed their death with […]
As the viral image, which has become the January calendar image, continues to circulate, some players in the upcoming game expressed their surprise at the coincidence.
“The first time I saw it, I thought it was AI and that it wasn't real,” the Spaniard said Mikel Merino said Friday, according to the AP. “It's unbelievable that two of the best players who played this game – and I hope that Lamine, in the future, will be one of those – shared a photo like this. I hope that we will see a brilliant final with these two protagonists at their best, playing and giving all the fans a great spectacle.”
As for Monfort, he's a lifelong Barcelona fan, but he hasn't decided who he'll be rooting for on Sunday.
“My heart is divided. I don't know if I want Messi or Yamal to win,” he said.
