Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal's meeting at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final revived the iconic photo of the Argentine star bathing a baby in 2007.
The photo has been in the spotlight again ahead of the final after Argentina defeated England 2-1, while Spain advanced as European champions. The match in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Monday (July 20th) early morning WIB will be Messi and Yamal's first meeting as opponents on the pitch.
According to ESPN in Jakarta on Saturday, the photo was taken by freelance photographer Joan Monfort during a charity calendar shoot organized by Catalan daily Diario Sport in collaboration with UNICEF. Yamal's family won a raffle to have their photo taken with the Barcelona player at Camp Nou.
"We made the calendar with the help of UNICEF. UNICEF held a raffle in the Roca Fonda neighborhood of Mataró, where the Lamine family lives. They registered for the chance to have their photo taken with a Barcelona player at Camp Nou, and they won," Monfort told the Associated Press in 2024.
