Lamine Yamal reveals message to Lionel Messi after 2026 World Cup final | OneFootball

Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal has spoken about his on-pitch exchange with Lionel Messi after the 2026 World Cup final. Spain beat Argentina in extra time through a Ferran Torres winner, and Messi, 39, retired from international football shortly after.

"I said thank you for everything you gave football." He told The Guardian.

"I don't do things to look nice for the photo - that came from inside."

Yamal also addressed the viral photo of Messi bathing him as a baby. "Because I told him not to. He put it on Facebook once and I told him to take it down. Comparisons were too easy, that was all people would talk about. I just wanted to get where I could get. I asked him to wait. When I'm Lamine, do what you want."

As Messi steps away and Yamal rises, the final stands as a bridge between two outstanding careers.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”