Lionel Messi responds to iconic photo with baby Lamine Yamal ahead of World Cup final

In partnership with

The Independent

·19 de julio de 2026

Lionel Messi responds to iconic photo with baby Lamine Yamal ahead of World Cup final

Lionel Messi has described the viral photos of him with baby Lamine Yamal as "just crazy", as destiny brings the pair together for the World Cup 2026 final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday (19 July).

"To be honest, that photo is just crazy because, well, that's life, isn't it?" Messi told Tom Brady during an onstage appearance in New York.

OneFootball Videos

"I had my photo taken with him when he was a baby, and here we are today, the two of us going up against each other in a World Cup. It really is crazy."

The photoshoot came as part of a charity calendar made by local newspaper Diario Sport and UNICEF in 2007.