The Selfie of the Year? Messi, Rodri, Djokovic, Brady, Durant, and More Packed In

Legends, both active and retired, from the worlds of football, tennis, NFL, and NBA converged at a FIFA event in New York, creating a moment that quickly went viral across social media.

The Fanaticsfest, an event organized in partnership with FIFA in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup final, was highlighted by a photograph featuring some of the greatest figures in sports history. Lionel Messi, Novak Djokovic, Tom Brady, and Kevin Durant posed for a selfie, representing disciplines such as football, tennis, American football, and basketball.

The gathering, hosted by entrepreneur Michael Rubin (also pictured), included a Q&A session with key figures from the final. Lionel Messi was a prominent participant alongside Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni, goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, Spanish midfielder Rodri, and coach Luis de la Fuente.

As special guests, Rio Ferdinand and Tom Brady took on moderating duties, joined by Djokovic, Durant, actor Kevin Hart, and rapper Travis Scott.

Durant, being the tallest, was responsible for capturing the now-viral photograph.

But there's another detail: as the photo was being taken, coaches Luis De la Fuente and Lionel Scaloni were embracing in the background – with the Argentine coach making the first move. In fact, Scaloni stated he agreed to attend the event (which he had to fit in alongside a mixed zone and a press conference) specifically to greet his former mentor.