Get ready for this: Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are about to face off in the 2026 World Cup final this Sunday at MetLife Stadium. That’s huge, but the story of their *first* meeting? Man, it’s wild. Only one of these soccer legends even remembers it.
The Bathtub Backstory You Won't Believe
Picture this: December 2007. A 20-year-old Messi, already a star, is introduced to a tiny, five-month-old Lamine Yamal. This wasn't some big press conference; it was a charity calendar photo shoot. Barcelona's foundation and Diario Sport did this yearly, snapping players with kids. The Yamal family won a raffle, organized with UNICEF, to get their baby boy in a picture with a Barca player. No idea they were making history, right? Baby Yamal, with his mom, is sitting in a plastic bathtub full of soapy water in the visiting locker room at Camp Nou. Freelance photographer Joan Monfort later told The Associated Press in 2024 that Messi, being an introvert, had no clue how to interact with the infant. Monfort recalled Messi "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." He added, "It was complicated. He didn't even know how to hold him at first." Can you even imagine that? Two legends, one super awkward, the other completely oblivious.Destiny's Crazy Path to the World Cup
The wildest part? These photos resurfaced online just two years ago when Yamal's dad posted them on Instagram, captioning it, "the beginning of two legends." Talk about foresight, or just pure destiny! Monfort told The Athletic in 2024 it's "something incredible." He said, "Back then, nobody could imagine that this baby would be who he is now and you could not have known that Messi would become who he became, either. We are talking about 2007. Messi was only beginning at Barca then. Destiny plays an important role in these things." You can’t argue with that, right? Messi already had professional years by 2007, with two league titles and the Champions League under his belt. Yamal’s journey was truly just beginning. Seven years after that sudsy photo shoot, Yamal joined Barcelona's La Masia youth academy. Fast forward to April 2023: a 15-year-old Yamal makes his Barcelona debut, rocking Messi's iconic No. 10 jersey! Five months later, Spain's national team called him up. Last summer, he was key for La Roja's Euro 2024 win. And now, two years on, he’s got a shot at the World Cup title. So here we are: a World Cup final where Yamal could grab his second major title in as many years, going up against the man who once didn't know how to hold him. It's a full-circle moment for the ages, and man, you just gotta watch it unfold. Sunday at MetLife, it's on!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.