The upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium, also known as MetLife Stadium, on Sunday will feature a historic first-time meeting on a football pitch between Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Spanish teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. This highly anticipated clash comes nearly nineteen years after their paths first crossed in a remarkable locker room encounter that has captured the imagination of the global football community. Both players are deeply motivated to lead their respective nations to victory, with Messi seeking to cement his legendary status with another world title and Yamal aiming to establish himself as the definitive future of the sport.
The backstory of their connection revolves around a viral photograph taken in December 2007 by freelance photographer Joan Monfort inside the locker room of Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium. The image was captured for a 2008 charity calendar organized by the Barcelona club foundation and the Catalan newspaper Diario Sport, with funds raised donated to UNICEF and other charities across Catalonia. At the time, Messi was a rising twenty-year-old star beginning his iconic career with Barcelona, while Yamal was a five-month-old infant whose family lived forty kilometers away in the town of Mataro.
Reflecting on the session, Monfort explained the challenges of shooting the iconic image. Monfort said, "It was a difficult shot," and added, "We can say I sweated some blood to take it." According to the photographer, the naturally introverted personality of the young Argentinian forward made the initial moments of the shoot particularly awkward. Monfort stated, "Lionel Messi is still shy now. He was much more shy when he was starting out, and he finds himself there with a tiny baby in a plastic bath full of water. At the start, there was not much interaction. It was difficult for all of them. But, bit by bit, it started to happen and in the end, it’s a pretty good photo."
The presence of Yamal's mother, Sheila Ebana, proved essential in easing the tension during the shoot, helping to wash her son while Messi stood by with a towel. Monfort emphasized the necessity of her involvement, stating, "The mother helped a lot. Her presence was super-necessary, so the baby did not feel it was too strange. You look for a tender image, something sweet and nice." He also praised the dedication of Yamal's family, who traveled forty kilometers from Mataro and waited patiently at the stadium for the session to be arranged. Monfort noted, "I’d always want to give them a photo, it makes them really happy," explaining that "The player might not be too worried, but the parents of the kids would be very excited. They lived 40km (25 miles) away. Not everyone would do that with a young baby. They would have to make the trip, then wait for the player to arrive, for everything to be set up."
Following that coincidental meeting, Yamal's career path mirrored his early association with Barcelona. He joined the club's La Masia youth academy in 2014, eventually making his La Liga debut at the age of fifteen in April 2023. He made his international debut for Spain at sixteen, subsequently playing a vital role in their European Championship victory. Today, Yamal wears the iconic number ten shirt for Barcelona, emerging as the closest successor to Messi, who spent twenty-one years in Catalonia after joining the academy as a thirteen-year-old. Monfort described the situation as "something incredible," adding, "Back then, nobody could imagine that this baby would be who he is now, and you could not have known that Messi would become who he became, either." He further remarked, "We are talking about 2007. Messi was only beginning at Barca then. Destiny plays an important role in these things."
Monfort recalled that handling professional footballers during photoshoots often required patience. Monfort stated, "Often footballers come in and say 'Let's go, let's do it. I'm in a rush, what do you want to do?' But you have to take your time." He pointed out that the atmosphere can initially feel detached, explaining, "It can be a bit cold, especially in a photo where you need interaction between two people who do not know each other. Then, when one is a baby and the other is 20, it can get difficult. But it turned out pretty well."
The historic images remained largely forgotten for years until Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared them on social media. Monfort recalled how he was alerted to the identity of the baby in his old photograph by a former colleague. Monfort said, "He asked me if it was my photo," and continued, "I said yes. He sent me the photo and I asked him who the baby was. He started to laugh and said, 'Lamine, Lamine'." The revelation caught both the photographer and the staff at Diario Sport by surprise. Monfort stated, "He told me the father had put it on social media. In Sport, they could hardly believe it. They had just realised, too. It’s been really surprising, all this. We take so many photos, so many images. Some of them will remain."
As the two football stars prepare to lock horns on Sunday, the 2007 photograph has cemented its place as one of the most remarkable coincidences in sporting history. Monfort acknowledged the lasting impact of the image, saying, "It’s the most famous photo I’ve taken in my life, by a long way. So many people have been interested, again during this World Cup now. If Lamine keeps growing like he is growing, the photo will be even more historic. The chances of all this happening was like winning the lottery. Although it’s not sorted me out financially for life (laughs)." He concluded, "I’m just really happy it happened. It’s especially nice in today’s football, when so much is to do with money and power."
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