Yamal
as
a
baby
with
Lionel
Messi
in
2007
Advertisement
A
heartwarming
photo
of
Lionel
Messi
and
a
baby
Lamine
Yamal
has
resurfaced,
capturing
the
attention
of
the
football
world.
Taken
in
2007
during
a
charity
shoot
at
Barcelona’s
Camp
Nou,
the
photo
shows
a
20-year-old
Messi,
already
on
his
path
to
greatness,
posing
with
a
baby
Yamal.
Fast
forward
to
2024,
and
the
16-year-old
Yamal
is
making
waves
himself,
becoming
the
youngest
goalscorer
in
European
Championship
history.
The
photo,
posted
by
Yamal’s
father
with
the
caption
“The
beginning
of
two
legends,”
highlights
the
unexpected
twists
of
fate.
Photographer
Joan
Monfort,
who
captured
the
moment,
recalled
the
challenges
of
the
shoot.
“Messi
is
a
pretty
introverted
guy,
he’s
shy,”
he
said.
“He
was
coming
out
of
the
locker
room
and
suddenly
he
finds
himself
in
another
locker
room
with
a
plastic
tub
full
of
water
and
a
baby
in
it.
It
was
complicated.
He
didn’t
even
know
how
to
hold
him
at
first.”
The
raffle
win
that
brought
the
Yamal
family
to
the
Camp
Nou
not
only
resulted
in
a
cherished
photo
but
also
foreshadowed
Yamal’s
future
at
Barcelona,
where
he
mirrored
Messi’s
achievements
by
becoming
the
club’s
youngest
player
and
goalscorer.
Monfort
himself
expressed
delight
at
the
photo’s
resurgence,
stating
the
excitement
of
being
linked
to
such
a
viral
moment.
This
story
of
a
chance
encounter
and
the
remarkable
rise
of
a
young
star
adds
another
layer
to
the
magic
of
football.