New Jersey, en.SERU.co.id — Nineteen years ago, a shy 20-year-old Lionel Messi gently bathed a chubby baby during a UNICEF charity photoshoot at Barcelona’s Camp Nou. That baby was Lamine Yamal. On Sunday, July 19, 2026, the two will face each other as opponents in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.
It sounds like a fairytale scripted by football gods. Argentina, the defending champions, booked their place in the final with a hard-fought semifinal win over England. Spain, reigning European champions, advanced after overcoming France. The stage is now set: Spain vs Argentina at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
The Photo That Captured Destiny
The iconic images from December 2007 were part of a charity calendar organized by UNICEF, the FC Barcelona Foundation, and Catalan newspaper Diario Sport. Yamal’s family won a local raffle, earning the chance for their infant son to be photographed with a rising Barcelona star.
Photographer Joan Monfort, who captured the moment, later recalled Messi’s nervousness.
“He was very introverted. He walked in and saw a plastic bathtub with water and a baby inside. At first, he didn’t even know how to hold him,” Monfort told ESPN.
What began as a simple charity shoot has become one of the most viral stories in football history.
Lamine Yamal, now 18 (turning 19 during the tournament), has never hidden his admiration for the man who once bathed him. Before the semifinals, the Spanish wonderkid openly expressed his dream matchup.
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“Facing Leo Messi in a World Cup final would be fantastic. I hope so,” Yamal said, according to Fox Sports.
He also named Messi as the player, he’d most like to swap jerseys with. In a recent touching update, Yamal revealed that Messi personally called to congratulate him on reaching the final.
Still, the young star remains focused. In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Yamal made his ambition clear: “If I reach the final, I want to win it.”
Both players share deep Barcelona roots. Yamal, a La Masia graduate like Messi, has emerged as one of the brightest talents of his generation, a dazzling winger with dribbling magic and maturity beyond his years. For many, Sunday’s final represents the symbolic handover from one Barcelona legend to the next.
Messi, 39, could be playing in his last World Cup match, chasing a second straight title. Yamal, meanwhile, hopes to lead Spain to their second World Cup crown and begin a new era.
This Final Feels Different
This isn’t just another World Cup decider. It’s a rare narrative that blends nostalgia, destiny, and elite competition. Fans across the globe are calling it the ultimate “full-circle moment” in football.
As the world prepares for what promises to be one of the most-watched sporting events in history, one thing is certain: whether you support Argentina or Spain, the story of the baby bathed by Messi now facing him in a World Cup final is pure football magic.
