Messi vs. Yamal: 19 Years After the Bathtub Photo, They Meet in the World Cup Final

Messi was assigned to the Yamal family by lottery for the bath photo. In the image, the then-20-year-old Argentine sits with the infant in a plastic bathtub. The picture remained under wraps for years until Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, posted it on Instagram in 2024. During the European Championship in Germany, the photo went viral.

From Rocafonda to the World

Yamal grew up in the Rocafonda neighborhood near Barcelona, a poor district from which other families had also been selected for the calendar project. His father is a Moroccan immigrant; his mother is from Equatorial Guinea. Through FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, Yamal reached the first team at the age of 15.

At the 2024 European Championship in Germany, Yamal led Spain to the title at the age of 16, becoming both the youngest player and the youngest goalscorer in the history of the tournament. Now 19, the winger has one goal and one assist to his name at this World Cup.

Messi's Record Ahead of the Final

On the other side stands Lionel Messi, who, at 39, is playing in what is likely his last major tournament. The Argentine has been named World Footballer of the Year eight times, has won the Champions League four times, and the Spanish league title with FC Barcelona ten times. Four years ago, he crowned his career by winning the World Cup.

At this tournament, Messi has scored eight goals and provided four assists. He tops the all-time list of goalscorers in World Cup finals tournaments with 21 strikes. After the semifinal win over England booked their place in the final, Messi said: "It's crazy what we are experiencing right now. Now it will happen as God wills."

Spain and Argentina's Path to East Rutherford

Argentina reached the final through a semifinal victory over England. Messi had already announced himself in the group stage with two goals in a 2-0 win over Austria. Argentina's coach, Lionel Scaloni, said of his captain: "Of course there will come a time when he stops. But until then, he wants to remain the best."

Spain prevailed in the semifinal against France. The Iberian squad features pillars of the tournament so far in goalkeeper Unai Simón, five-goal striker Mikel Oyarzabal, and playmaker Dani Olmo. Coach Luis de la Fuente expressed his conviction: "Lamine Yamal's big day at this World Cup is still to come."

Yamal himself took the viral 2007 images in good humor. When asked about the old photos in an interview, he said: "I have grown a little since then." The two players are also united by the path through FC Barcelona's La Masia academy – a circumstance that turns the encounter into a special story beyond the purely sporting.