In 2007, a young Lionel Messi posed for photos with an infant in the Camp Nou dressing room during a charity calendar photoshoot in Barcelona. At the time, Messi, then 20 years old, was already establishing himself as a footballing phenomenon destined to become arguably the greatest player of all time. Little did the photographer realize that the baby in those photos would also make a significant impact in international football less than 17 years later.
That baby was Lamine Yamal, who at 17 years old is currently making headlines at the European Championships, showcasing his talent and potential on the global stage. It’s a remarkable twist of fate that connects these two figures across different generations of football excellence.
His goal against France in the semi-final on Tuesday is destined to be remembered for decades. At just 16 years and 362 days old, this strike also earned him the title of the youngest scorer in the tournament’s history.
The long-forgotten photo of Messi and Yamal resurfaced recently after Yamal’s father shared it on Instagram with the caption: “The beginning of two legends.” These photos were originally captured by Joan Monfort, a freelance photographer for the Associated Press.
The shoot came about after Unicef did a raffle in the town of Mataró where Lamine’s family lived, he said.
“They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barça player. And they won the raffle,” Mr Monfort told the Associated Press.
The assignment wasn’t a straightforward one, the photographer said.
“Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he’s shy,” he said.
“He was coming out of the locker room and suddenly he finds himself in another locker room with a plastic tub full of water and a baby in it. It was complicated. He didn’t even know how to hold him at first.”
Following in Messi’s footsteps, Yamal joined Barcelona, where he achieved milestones such as becoming the club’s youngest-ever starter and goalscorer, along with being the youngest scorer in the Spanish league.
Mr. Monfort expressed his surprise upon realizing that the baby in his photo had grown up to be Yamal, especially as the photo began circulating widely online last week. “It’s very exciting to be connected with something that has sparked such a sensation,” he remarked. “To be honest, it’s a wonderful feeling.”
