Lionel Messi has spoken publicly about a viral photograph taken in 2007 showing him bathing a five-month-old baby, who turned out to be Spain’s current football star Lamine Yamal. The image resurfaced ahead of the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, drawing global attention to the remarkable coincidence. Speaking in New York during a conversation with Tom Brady, Messi described the photo as “crazy” and a symbol of life’s unpredictability.

Messi praised Yamal’s exceptional talent, noting that he has followed the young player closely because Yamal plays for a club Messi loves. He called Yamal one of the world’s best players at just 19 years old and said the youngster has a long career ahead with many chances to make history. However, Messi also reminded that Argentina will give their best effort in the final to prevent Yamal from writing that history against them.

The original photo was part of a UNICEF and Diario Sport charity calendar project in Barcelona. Yamal’s father shared it on social media in 2024, making it viral once again before the World Cup final.