📸The origin of an iconic photo: when Messi cradled Lamine Yamal | OneFootball

An image taken in 2008 has gone completely viral around the world. It shows a baby just a few months old named Lamine Yamal in the arms of a young Lionel Messi, who was only 20 years old at the time.

A coincidence for a good cause

This historic meeting happened by chance thanks to a project by the FC Barcelona Foundation and the newspaper Sport. Both organizations worked together to create a charity calendar to raise funds for UNICEF during Joan Laporta’s first presidency at the club.

Crossed paths

No one could have imagined at the time that this little baby would follow in the Argentine star’s footsteps, breaking youth records in football that even Messi himself had not reached at age 16. Today, this snapshot stands as one of the most iconic photos in the history of sport.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.