A version of this article was first published in July 2024. It has been updated ahead of the 2026 World Cup final.
Photographer Joan Monfort recalls capturing a challenging photo back in December 2007. Lionel Messi, then a shy 20-year-old, poses with a tiny baby, Lamine Yamal, in a plastic bath filled with water. “We can say I sweated some blood to take it,” Monfort shared with The Athletic.
The photo was part of a charity calendar organized by Barcelona’s club foundation and newspaper Diario Sport. Published in 2008, it aimed to raise funds for UNICEF and other Catalonian charities. Every year, Barcelona players were photographed alongside children, creating cherished memories for many families even if they have been largely forgotten in public consciousness.
Yamal, who is now one of Barcelona’s rising stars, appeared in the shoot with Messi, the multiple Ballon d’Or winner. Their paths will cross again at the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium as Spain meets Argentina for their first confrontation on the pitch.
Monfort’s photos from the shoot regained public attention during the European Championship of 2024. Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared the bathing photo of his son, alongside others showing Messi cradling baby Yamal and Yamal’s mother, Sheila Ebana, helping wash her son.
“Back then, nobody could imagine this baby would become who he is now,” Monfort stated in a July 2024 interview. “Destiny plays an important role in these things.” In 2007, Messi was emerging at Barcelona after winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League among a star-studded squad.
Monfort expressed the importance of ensuring each family received copies of the photos, especially given the effort Yamal’s mother made traveling from Mataro to the Camp Nou. “The player might not be too worried, but the parents of the kids would be very excited,” Monfort explained.
Six years later, Yamal began traveling regularly from Mataro for Barcelona training after joining the club’s La Masia youth academy in 2014. Progressing rapidly, he debuted in La Liga at age 15 in 2023. By 16, he debuted internationally for Spain. His remarkable journey so far includes playing a pivotal role in Spain’s Euro 2024 victory.
Yamal, wearing Messi’s iconic No. 10 jersey for Barca, is seen as the closest successor to the legendary Argentinian. “It’s a one-in-a-million chance that this could happen,” Monfort shared.
With today’s technology making photo sharing common, some images stand out, like a famous one of Pep Guardiola as a boy applauding Terry Venables. Monfort continues taking photographs, working freelance for Madrid-based Diario AS and other clients.
The photo of Messi and Yamal went viral again during Euro 2024, surprising Monfort. “It’s the most famous photo I’ve taken in my life,” he said. “If Lamine keeps growing like he is, the photo will be even more historic.” Reflecting on its significance, Monfort mused, “I’m just really happy it happened, especially nice in today’s football, where so much is to do with money and power.”