Messi and Yamal will clash in the final (Photo:
Messi vs Lamine Yamal: The line-up of the final of FIFA World Cup 2026 has been decided. The title match of this tournament will be played between Spain and Argentina. Spain had booked its ticket to the final by defeating France in the first semi-final, whereas Argentina has secured its place in the final by eliminating the challenge of England in the second semi-final. With Spain and Argentina reaching the finals, the interesting thing has become that the child whom Argentina’s superstar player and captain Messi once fed in his lap, will now have to face the same. After all, that 6 month old child has now become a 19 year old young man.
When Messi fed Yamal in his lap
This incident is from the year 2007. 18 year old Messi was then emerging as a big star of football. He also played his first FIFA World Cup. Messi then attended a UNICEF program, during which he had to do a photo shoot with a 6-month-old baby. Do you know who that child was? His name was Lamin Yamal, who is now 19 years old and is the heart and soul of Spanish football.
Before you start imagining a possible Messi Yamal encounter in the World Cup finals, time to revisit the first time Messi faced Yamal. In 2007, in a UNICEF calendar, where Yamal’s family was chosen after a raffle in their neighborhood in Mataro. Oh, and Yamal’s dad Mounir is 5 pic.twitter.com/JhjlVOLvH4
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) July 15, 2026
During the photo shoot, Messi even picked up the then 6-month-old Yamal in his lap and fed him. However, that photo was kept private for the next 17 years. For the first time in 2024, the photo of Messi feeding Lamin Yamal in his lap was revealed. Then that photo was captioned – The Beginning of Two Legends.
Final between Spain and Argentina, what is special?
When Spain and Argentina face off in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026, keep an eye on Lamin Yamal and Lionel Messi. This will be Argentina’s second consecutive World Cup final. Whereas it took Spain 16 years to reach the final again. The last time Spain played the final, it won the title. This time it will be interesting to see whether they are able to spoil the plans of defending champion Argentina or not. The final between Spain and Argentina will be held on July 20 at the New York Stadium.
