Watch: The moment Lionel Messi passed the football baton to Lamine Yamal after World Cup final | OneFootball

A moment shared between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal in the aftermath of Sunday’s World Cup final has gone viral across social media.

This comes after the footballing baton was passed by the former to a player whom many consider to be Messi’s heir.

The finale of the 2026 World Cup was of course played to completion late yesterday evening. When all was said and done in a hard-fought affair between Spain and Argentina, it was the former who emerged deserved 1-0 victors.

Both of the aforementioned Messi and Lamine featured from the off in the New York showcase.

In the case of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, this marks his last dance on international football’s grandest stage. For Lamine, on the other, it is just the latest development in a historic career in the making.

Post-match, it therefore felt only right that the past and present of Barcelona and football alike shared a touching moment.

As Messi sat grounded, defeated and deflated on the turf, Lamine made his way to the 39-year-old, culminating in a few words and a warm embrace:

Conor Laird – GSFN