A Pre-Final Story: Messi vs. Yamal, 17 Years After the Iconic Photo

Nearly 17 years ago, when photographer Joan Monfort captured Lionel Messi holding a baby for a charity calendar, he was convinced the long-haired young footballer was destined for greatness. However, he could hardly have imagined that the baby in the picture would also grow up to be a global football star. The image, which has recently gained significant traction on social media, shows Messi with a young Lamine Yamal. This photo of the two footballing icons has become increasingly relevant, especially with the upcoming World Cup final on Sunday between Argentina and Spain. The two, immortalized in that historic photoshoot, will now face each other on the pitch as opponents, almost two decades after the event. The photoshoot took place in 2007, and Yamal's father recently shared some of the images on Instagram with the caption: "The beginning of two legends."

Joan Monfort, 56, now a freelance photographer, recounted that the photoshoot happened in the away team's dressing room at Camp Nou in the autumn of 2007. At the time, Yamal was just a few months old. Barcelona players posed with children and their families for a charity calendar, organized as part of an annual campaign by the local newspaper "Diario Sport" and UNICEF. Monfort was in charge of the photoshoots, and by chance, Messi was paired with Yamal's family. In one of the pictures, Yamal's mother, originally from Equatorial Guinea, stands alongside the Argentine star and her baby. Messi was 20 years old then and already considered one of football's brightest talents. Still, it would take a few more years for him to establish himself as the most impressive footballer of his generation for both Barcelona and Argentina. Like Messi, Lamine Yamal also came through Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy. Monfort describes the fact that they ended up in the same photo in 2007 as a surreal coincidence. "The stars aligned," the photographer remarked. Monfort has had a long career as a sports photographer, starting in 1991, and has followed Barcelona worldwide. However, he admits he has never seen such interest in any of his photos before. The final between Argentina, who will be defending their world title, and reigning European champions Spain is scheduled for Sunday at 10:00 PM. Messi and Yamal will pose together again then, but this time as rivals.