Messi addresses viral baby photo with Lamine Yamal

sportsJul 19, 2026879,811

Lionel Messi said he wished 19-year-old Lamine Yamal the best of luck after images of a teenage Messi bathing Yamal as a baby resurfaced ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. The photos, taken in 2007 by AP freelance photojournalist Joan Monfort for a charity calendar produced by Sport and UNICEF, show a long-haired Messi with soap-covered hands holding an infant Yamal during a raffle-organized shoot in Mataró, near Barcelona. Monfort said he did not recall the session until Yamal’s father posted the picture during the 2024 European Championship, when interest in the image first spiked, and that global attention has since exploded again with the World Cup final looming. Messi called the picture “crazy,” noted Yamal is only 19 and has his whole future ahead, and described the coincidence as beyond reasonable explanation. Monfort said media outlets and social platforms have inundated him with requests for the photos while they circulate widely without credit or compensation.

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani

@mayor.nyc.gov

Nineteen years ago, Lionel Messi bathed a baby named Lamine Yamal for a charity calendar. Some call it football's most famous blessing. Others say it sounds like the plot of the perfect movie. Tomorrow, we find out how it ends at the NYNJ Stadium.

552645d ago

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani608

Before the final chapter is written, join us live for the last World Cup Morning Pitch for the weather, traffic, and transit updates you need before kickoff. The final Morning Pitch streams at 8:30 AM on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. See you there.

Rob Delaney177

Bill Paxton bathed me as a baby and now I’m an #actor

Huggy Kitty Cat26

I think that Lamine needs to symbolically bathe or baptize Messi somehow to complete the circle of life.

Darlene Hastings9

I watched Messi. Very very talented player !

onlylovecanfill.bsky.social7

Can you be the mayor of the whole country somehow? You are putting all the rest to shame.

nydeliveryguy.bsky.social6

I dunno man sounds kind of creepy to me

Quoting this

🏳️‍⚧️ JANE AUSTEN SUGRAÑES 🥄64

He visto la foto rulando por ahí y ni caso porque creía que era IA. Cómo nos está estropeando la vida el inventito ese. Está matando nuestra capacidad de asombro por desconfianza.

Ned Pyle38

Ohno is the young guy at least nice or

Lisa Diedrich20

I'm here for Mamdani as midwife to a new masculinity.

Daniel Radosh18

I like this guy but I don't believe anyone has said this sounds like the plot of the perfect movie.

Andy Tulin (Subscribe to The Post Presence version)10

Magic Johnson ass skeet from my Mayor (complimentary)

gal dente 🍝8

ah, the Skye Blue and Jon Moxley of football #AEW

Christopher Crawford6

First skeet I've seen that is goober-adjacent from this dude. bsky.app/profile/mayo...

atomic bog5

dork ass mayor and comms team (complimentary)

gal dente 🍝4

I'm ready for the death match in which the baby goes over as the bell rings ⚽ #ARGESP

Vox Populi, Vox Dei4

Reasons to cheer on Spain in the #WorldCupFinal2026 ❤️💛 = *Both the men's & women's team will hold the World Cup at the same time; *Spain will co-host the next tournament as defending champions; *Spain is such a winning country right now with one of the best performing economies in the world ...

Men in Blazers Media Network

@meninblazers.bsky.social

When Alexander the Great was 33, he wept because there were no more worlds to conquer. Lamine Yamal is only 19 👑

176844d ago

Sian of the South20

I love his braces! And his baby brother.

Bennett Mills5

Really he’s 19? Why does no one ever mention his age??

R. Clyde5

Cubarsi was the best teenager for Spain. Richness of young talent.

Valk3

Caesar wept, Alexander drank himself to death.

alan5552

same age as when mbappe won his world cup in 2018 and he already holds the record for most goals in WC finals now with messi most likely not playing at 43 and mabappe will only be 31 next WC

flashflood505.bsky.social2

The cute baby in this 2007 photo is Spain's own Lamine Yamal, with his mother Sheila and 20-year-old Lionel Messi. Yamal's parents had won a calendar photo shoot for UNICEF and FC Barcelona. Now, that's one hell of a coincidence! www.unicefusa.org/stories/mess...

Quoting this

Steve Bullock7

Lovely tribute to the great Geordie, Sid Waddell (and to Lamine Yamal).

Thala Msutu3

Lamine is a crazy talent and the football world will be his soon. He’s had a pretty bad tournament. He’s clearly still recovering from injury and I hope Barcelona don’t play him until October at the very least (lol they won’t do that).

Kashana

@kashana.blacksky.app

Lamine Yamal is moving menacingly toward Messi with a bathtub

73644d ago

Ariaa®

@ariaa.bsky.social

Lamine Yamal is 19 He wears the #19 World Cup final is on the 19th Yamal will play Messi 19 yrs after Messi bathed him in iconic photo shoot Messi wore 19 back then. #WorldCup2026 #weirdstats

18546d ago

Aurelius1

And there is less than a 19% chance that I will watch the game! Amazing!

Quoting this

theclevermonkey.bsky.social2

The Matrix has dementia and has forgotten the stories and facts it created the last 19 years. Very glitchy all of the sudden.

FC Barcelona

@fcbarcelonabr.bsky.social

Lamine Yamal becomes the first player under the age of 20 to win both the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup. 📸 @fifaworldcup

14544d ago

Quoting this

Jimmy (not one of those) Rothschild(s)2

I'm not impressed. I still remember the guy who scored the game-winning penalty shootout goal for Brazil in the 2004 Copa America. And if you've seen Juan you've seen Yamal.

Fabrizio Romano (MIRROR)

@fabrizioromano.yopro20.com

🫂❤️‍🩹 Lamine Yamal went to hug Leo Messi right after the game. Beautiful moment. ✨

17244d ago

boxman485.bsky.social1

Messi plays for a team of thugs, who are anti football and sore losers

Quoting this

stim possible57

when the one who gives the bath gets washed

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Max5

While I liked the first picture for the story early on, this one's better. Great shot.

Shireen Ahmed

@shireenahmed.bsky.social

¡ Felicidades España ! I hope Lamine Yamal's Palestine flag is massive at the parade of campeones. 📸 @beardedgenius.bsky.social

Lamine Yamal holding a huge Palestine flag at the Champion's parade for Barcelona.

12644d ago

Fared Al Mahlool | فريد المحلول

@faredalmahlool.bsky.social

LAMINE YAMAL - 19 years old - Ballon d’Or runner-up - Three La Liga titles - UEFA European Championship winner - World Cup winner

11044d ago

daughterofwitches.bsky.social8

More importantly, related to this little guy.

mtsw

@mtsw.bsky.social

fitting that the final in Giants Stadium in light of Lamine Yamal's Eli Manning-esque achievement of winning the tournament as the most important guy on the winning team without really doing anything.

9744d ago

Dexerto

@dexerto.bsky.social

YouTuber Lamine Yamal has defeated Messi and Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup and take custody of Hatsune Miku The teenager has taken both the trophy and Miku from the man who bathed him as a baby

5744d ago

danny

@protagkun.bsky.social

Lamine Yamal, 19 anos: 1 Copa Neymar, 34 anos: Jr.

3644d ago

First Touch

@firsttouch.bsky.social

Lamine Yamal tried to take in his victory while chaos erupted behind him 🙏 (Via IG/mischa.bolvin)

5044d ago

Quoting this

Andrew Hammond13

If this ain’t a life metaphor…. 😂

Blerd Beats4

A level of unbotheredness to aspire to.

sick public transit, gloria

@seung.bsky.social

MY KING BOURBON MY TAPAS JAMON MY LAMINE YAMAL ESPAÑA WIN IT ALL

4244d ago

The Guardian

@theguardian.com

God’s will? Destiny? Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal, that photo and the World Cup final

4046d ago

Rosario YD [#MessiIsStillAFascist]1

Yamal will school his fascist foe on Sunday, mark my words.

Nathan Newman- Working to 8647, the Pedophile Rapist

@nathansnewman.bsky.social

Spain has gone against European trend and embraced new immigration and a diverse society- and Lamine Yamal helping lead a winning Spanish team embodies that trend. And will hopefully reinforce political support for those policies.

3044d ago

3 sources

abc.net.auMeet Lamine Yamal, the Spanish prince set to claim his World Cup kingdom nypost.comLionel Messi, Lamine Yamal colliding in World Cup final is glimpse of soccer’s present, future chicagotribune.comLionel Messi once held baby Lamine Yamal in his arms. Now they will battle for the World Cup title.

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Messi addresses viral baby photo with Lamine Yamal

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