Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal Set For World Cup Showdown 19 Years After First Meeting [Photos]

Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are set for a World Cup showdown 19 years after first meeting, when Argentina face Spain in Sunday’s final. The article notes that Messi, 39, and Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, are separated by 20 years yet both have become key figures for Barcelona. Their connection dates to 2007, when a young Messi, then 20, participated in a charity photoshoot at Camp Nou with Unicef and Sport. The baby chosen in a raffle was five-month-old Yamal, photographed by Joan Monfort as Messi held and bathed him; the images resurfaced during Spain’s Euro 2024 run after Yamal’s father shared them online. It also outlines Yamal’s background in Mataró and his rapid rise, including 56 career goals and multiple domestic titles by his 19th birthday, while Messi and Yamal are now poised to meet on football’s biggest stage.