Lionel Messi and Lamin Yamal will clash in the final of FIFA World Cup 2026. Both of them met in a photoshoot 18 years ago, when Yamal was a child. Now defending champions Argentina and Spain will clash in the title match.
Messi and Yamal’s connection is 18 years old
Lionel Messi and Lamin Yamal are set to face each other for the first time on the football field. The match will take place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final in New Jersey on July 19 (local time), where defending champions Argentina will face Spain. But there is a connection between these two stars which is more than 18 years old. In a post on Instagram, UNICEF shared a photo of Lionel Messi and Lamin Yamal’s first meeting, which took place more than 18 years ago during a fundraising photoshoot. UNICEF said that during the event, little Lamin Yamal met Messi with his mother Sheila.
Today, both footballers serve as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors and use their global platform to help children and promote their rights and well-being. As Spain and Argentina prepare for the World Cup final, this showdown between Lamin Yamal and Lionel Messi marks an incredible meeting of football’s past, present and future.
Spain reached the final after defeating France
Spain defeated France 2–0 to reach the FIFA World Cup final for the first time since their 2010 triumph. Lamin Yamal played an important role in this victory. He won a penalty by snatching the ball from Lucas Digne, which Mikel Oyarzabal converted to give Spain the lead in the 22nd minute. Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s lead after the break after a brilliant move with Dani Olmo, while France struggled to create clear chances. Yamal had a goal ruled out for offside, and despite late efforts from Kylian Mbappé and Aurelien Tchoumeni, Spain’s defense held firm to earn their sixth clean sheet in seven matches of the tournament. With this victory, Spain secured a place in its second World Cup final, where it will face Argentina.
Argentina’s thrilling victory over England
Meanwhile, Argentina achieved a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over England in Atlanta. After trailing in the first half, Enzo Fernandez scored the equaliser, before Lautaro Martínez scored the winner in stoppage-time to send the defending champions into the title clash against Spain. The special thing is that Messi played an important role in Argentina’s victory. Although he could not get his name on the scoresheet, the captain provided assists for both of his team’s goals, contributing significantly to his side’s comeback.
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