Barcelona, July 2024 – Before Lamine Yamal became the youngest-ever goal scorer in European Championship history, before he dazzled the world with his stunning goal against France in the Euro 2024 semifinals, before he was hailed as Spain’s golden boy—he had an unexpected meeting with greatness.
That meeting, as fate would have it, was with none other than Lionel Messi.
A set of rediscovered photos has taken the footballing world by storm, showing a 20-year-old Messi bathing a baby Yamal—a surreal image that now carries an almost mythical significance.
A Childhood Encounter with Greatness
The viral photos, taken in 2007, were part of a charity calendar organized by Catalan newspaper Diario Sport in collaboration with UNICEF. Families entered a raffle, and the winners got the chance to have their picture taken with a Barcelona player at Camp Nou.
Lamine Yamal’s mother, Sheila Ebana, entered the raffle while living in Roca Fonda, Mataró, a working-class neighborhood near Barcelona. As luck would have it, they won—and were paired with a rising star who was still carving out his own legacy at FC Barcelona: Lionel Messi.
Photographer Joan Monfort, who captured the moment, recalled the awkward yet magical encounter inside the away team’s locker room at Camp Nou.
“Messi is very introverted and shy. He entered the changing room to find a plastic bathtub filled with water and a baby inside. In the beginning, he didn’t know how to hold Yamal,” Monfort said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Despite the initial discomfort, Messi eventually settled into the role, gently cradling a then-infant Yamal in what is now being hailed as the symbolic passing of the footballing torch.
The Beginning of Two Legends
Fast forward 17 years, and the image has taken on a whole new meaning. Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, reposted a cropped version of the photo on Instagram with the caption:
“The beginning of two legends.”
And indeed, the stars seem to have aligned.
Yamal, just four days shy of his 17th birthday, etched his name into the record books during Spain’s thrilling 2-1 victory over France in the Euro 2024 semifinals. His spectacular long-range goal not only secured Spain’s place in the final but also made him the youngest goal scorer in Euros history—breaking a record that had stood for 20 years.
As Messi continues his own journey with Argentina at Copa América 2024, fans can’t help but imagine a poetic moment where Yamal lifts the Euros trophy for Spain while Messi leads Argentina to glory one last time.
A Photographer’s Pride
For Monfort, the resurfacing of his 17-year-old photo has been a source of pride.
“It’s very exciting to be associated with something that has caused such a sensation,” he said. “To tell you the truth, it’s a very nice feeling.”
What started as a simple charity shoot has now become a piece of football history—a timeless snapshot of two players at opposite ends of their careers, unknowingly linked by destiny.
As football fans around the world marvel at Yamal’s meteoric rise, one thing is certain: the baby in the bathtub is now Spain’s next big superstar. And perhaps, somewhere in Miami, Lionel Messi is smiling at the memory of an unexpected first meeting with the boy who would become football’s next golden talent.
