From Messi’s Arms to Spain’s World Cup Dream

Who would have imagined that the five-month-old baby once cradled by Lionel Messi would one day help Spain defeat France in a World Cup semifinal and reach the final? One of football's most iconic photographs has once again brought Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal into the spotlight.
The story dates back to December 2007, when a 20-year-old Messi was still establishing himself at Barcelona. As part of a charity calendar project jointly organized by UNICEF and the Catalan newspaper Diario Sport, a lottery-winning low-income family from Mataró earned the opportunity to have their five-month-old son photographed with the Argentine star. That baby was Lamine Yamal.
The photoshoot took place in the dressing room at Barcelona's Camp Nou. Photographer Joan Monfort later recalled that Messi, then a shy young footballer, was unsure how to hold the infant, who was sitting in a small plastic tub filled with water. With help from Yamal's mother, Sheila Ebana, the memorable photographs were finally taken—images that would later become some of the most symbolic in football history.
There is another fascinating chapter to the story. Yamal's father kept the photos private for nearly 17 years, fearing that early comparisons with Messi would place unnecessary pressure on his son. The images were eventually shared on social media during UEFA Euro 2024, instantly going viral around the world.
The photographs have since inspired countless jokes and memes among football fans, with many humorously claiming that Messi unknowingly passed on his footballing magic to the young Yamal during that famous bath-time moment. While the idea is purely playful, the image remains one of the most emotional and unforgettable in football history.

MMR