Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will face each other for the first time when Argentina meet Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. The showpiece pits the player many consider the greatest of all‑time against the pretender to his throne who now occupies his old Barcelona position. They are separated by two decades in age, yet remarkably they first met in 2007, when Messi was 20 and Yamal was a six‑month‑old.

That meeting came during a charity photoshoot organised by Catalan newspaper Sport and Unicef. Photographer Joan Monfort captured the images, which later went viral after Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, posted one on Instagram with the caption “the beginning of two legends”. Monfort said he felt happy seeing the photo seen worldwide.

Monfort recalled Messi as a very shy, introverted boy who needed time to interact with the baby, while Yamal was a pleasant child who quickly won Messi over. Their reunion in New Jersey comes 19 years later, with Messi aiming to lead Argentina to retain the title in what is expected to be his final World Cup appearance.