Lionel Messi reflects on iconic Lamine Yamal photo before World Cup final | OneFootball

Lionel Messi has reflected on his now iconic photo with Lamine Yamal at a fan event in New York ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, which kicks off at 21:00.

According to L'Équipe, Messi appeared at Fanatics Fest 2026 at the Javits Center in Manhattan on Friday, where stars from other sports, including Tom Brady, Novak Djokovic and Kevin Durant, quizzed figures from both teams. Unlike Emiliano Martinez and Lionel Scaloni, he addressed fans rather than the media.

When Brady raised the 19-year-old Unicef campaign image showing Messi bathing a months-old Yamal, the Argentina star smiled. He called it an incredible snapshot, noting he had posed with Yamal as a baby and that now they meet at a World Cup only hours before they face each other.

Messi also praised the Spain international, who has succeeded him as Barcelona’s crowd favourite. He described Yamal as an immense talent he has followed closely because he plays for a club Messi loves, and said he always wishes him the best. At 19, Messi added, Yamal is already among the game’s leading players and has a chance to achieve something historic, but Argentina will try to stop him this time.

The session formed part of an American style show designed to give fans a taste of Sunday’s final.

Source: L'Équipe