Argentina captain Messi reflected Friday on his unlikely first meeting with Spain forward Lamine Yamal, recalling the viral 2007 photo ahead of their first-ever meeting on a football pitch.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Honestly, that photo of us is crazy, because, well, that's life, right? I was in that photo with him as a baby, and here we both are, playing in a World Cup final,\" Messi was quoted by Xinhua as saying.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Messi, 39, was 20 and only beginning his career at Barcelona when the photo was taken. Yamal, 19, has since emerged as one of the club's brightest young stars.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Lamine is a huge talent, someone I've followed a lot because he plays for a club I love, and I always wish him the best, I always want the best for him,\" Messi said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"He's already a top player at 19 years of age, and he has his whole career ahead of him. He has a great opportunity to achieve something historic, which we'll try our hardest to make sure doesn't happen this time. I just want to wish him the best.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Messi added that his admiration for Yamal extended beyond Sunday's match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"He's already a top player at 19 years of age, and he has his whole career ahead of him. He has a great opportunity to achieve something historic, which we'll try our hardest to make sure doesn't happen this time. I just want to wish him the best.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The photo resurfaced in 2024, when Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared it publicly during that year's European Championship, in which Spain went on to beat England in the final.<\/p>\r\n\r\n