Iconic Photos of Messi and Baby Lamine Yamal Resurface

In 2007, a young Lionel Messi participated in a charity calendar photoshoot at Camp Nou in Barcelona, posing with a baby in the dressing room. At 20 years old, Messi was already establishing himself as a football prodigy, destined to become one of the greatest players of all time. However, the baby he held that day would also make a significant impact in international football less than 17 years later.

The baby, now 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, has been making headlines at the European Championships. His goal against France in the semi-final on Tuesday is being hailed as legendary, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament’s history at 16 years and 362 days.

The photo of Messi and Yamal recently resurfaced when Yamal’s father posted it on Instagram with the caption: “The beginning of two legends.” The photos were taken by Joan Monfort, a freelance photographer for the Associated Press, as part of a UNICEF raffle in the town of Mataró, where Yamal’s family lived.

“They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barça player. And they won the raffle,” Monfort told the Associated Press.

The photoshoot was challenging. “Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he’s shy,” Monfort recalled. “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.”

Following in Messi’s footsteps, Yamal has joined Barcelona, becoming the club’s youngest ever starter and goalscorer, as well as the youngest scorer in the Spanish league. Monfort only realized the baby was Yamal when the photo went viral last week.

“It’s very exciting to be associated with something that has caused such a sensation,” Monfort said.