ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA (Left) ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA (Right)

Lionel Messi is just one win away from another World Cup title, but Sunday’s final also brings an extraordinary personal twist. Before taking the field, the Argentine icon reflected on an unlikely connection to an opponent standing in his way.

Ahead of his country’s showdown with Spain, the soccer legend looked back on a viral photo that now forever links him to Lamine Yamal, the player who is now trying to deny him glory.

Lionel Messi Faces An Unbelievable Full-Circle Moment In Final World Cup Match

Lionel Messi has reflected on one of football’s most unbelievable full-circle moments, admitting it’s “crazy” that the baby he once cradled during a charity photoshoot for his old club, Barcelona, is now the player standing between him and another World Cup trophy.

As Argentina prepares to face Spain in Sunday’s final, the 39-year-old acknowledged the extraordinary coincidence that has captivated fans worldwide, per The New York Times. Nearly two decades after unknowingly posing with an infant who would grow into one of soccer’s brightest stars, Messi now finds himself on the opposite side of history, with both players chasing football’s biggest prize.

Calling the viral photos “crazy,” the Argentine icon said life has a funny way of bringing people back together, though this reunion comes with far more at stake than anyone could have imagined when the pictures were taken in 2007.

The Incredible Story Behind The Viral Messi Photos

As the remarkable photos continue to captivate football fans ahead of the World Cup final, the man who took them has also been revisiting the unlikely story behind them.

Speaking earlier this week, photographer Joan Monfort revealed the images were taken during a 2007 UNICEF charity calendar shoot organized with Barcelona and Catalan newspaper Sport, after Lamine Yamal’s family won a raffle to take part. He also recalled that a then-20-year-old Messi was shy and unsure how to hold the infant, making the bathtub photoshoot far more challenging than expected.

Nearly two decades later, Monfort says watching the pair prepare to meet on football’s biggest stage feels like “the closing of a circle,” a twist so extraordinary that even he admits it seems almost impossible to believe.

The Baby In Lionel Messi’s Viral Photo Is Now Spain’s Biggest Star

ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Yamal’s journey to the top of the world of soccer began in Rocafonda, the working-class neighborhood in Mataró, Spain, where he grew up. The winger is famous for frequently honoring the area with his trademark “304” celebration.

The budding star soon earned a move from local side CF La Torreta to Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy at seven years old, before making his senior debut for the club in 2023.

Yamal then made his global breakthrough the following year at Euro 2024, where he helped Spain win the trophy and also emerged as the competition’s youngest-ever player and scorer. Additionally, he was named Young Player of the Tournament.

Lionel Messi Wishes Yamal Well But Vows To Deny Him Glory

MEGA

Speaking ahead of their clash on Sunday, Messi has heaped praise on Yamal, describing the Barcelona teenager as one of football’s leading talents.

“He’s one of the best in the world right now,” the 39-year-old said. “I wish him luck because his success will be Barcelona’s success.”

However, Messi made it clear that admiration would not stop Argentina from trying to neutralize Yamal on Sunday.

“We’ll try to keep him from playing at his best,” he said, adding that Spain’s threat extends well beyond the young winger. “Spain has a great team, not just him.”

Messi continued: “He’s a tremendous player, a global star. He’s 19 years old and has his whole career ahead of him.”

Spain Coach Rules Out Man-Marking Lionel Messi

ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Meanwhile, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has ruled out assigning Messi a man-marker in Sunday’s final, despite learning the hard way just how dangerous the Argentina captain can be.

De la Fuente recalled facing a 16-year-old Messi while managing Sevilla’s youth team in 2004. His side kept the Barcelona prodigy quiet with a dedicated marker until the player received a yellow card and was withdrawn. Messi then scored four goals in 15 minutes.

De la Fuente said Spain would watch Messi closely but insisted Argentina must also worry about his players. He rejected comparisons between Messi and Yamal, stressing that the teenager must forge his own identity because the football icon “can never be repeated.”

The Lionel Messi Says It’s ‘Crazy’ His Next World Cup Rival Was A Baby He Once Held first appeared on The Blast