Lionel Messi, the Argentinian soccer icon, was photographed in 2007 bathing an adorable, chubby baby as part of a charity calendar for his then-club FC Barcelona. Almost two decades later, Argentina is slated to move forward to the World Cup quarterfinals — and Messi might actually face off against that very child, Lamine Yamal, who grew up to be a superstar right winger for Spain.
Full-Circle Moment
Fans can’t get enough of the now-legendary throwback photo, with some saying that the baby bath was Messi’s “sacred” way of passing along his exceptional soccer prowess. Even comedian Trevor Noah has geeked out over the image.
Messi’s Team Argentina won 3-2 against Egypt on July 7. The 39-year-old, who missed a first-half penalty, made it up to his team with a goal, making him the first player in the contest’s history to score in six consecutive knockout-stage matches. Yamal, 18, is also lighting up the pitch, scoring just 10 minutes into his first World Cup start against Saudi Arabia on June 21.
The photo has become evidence of a cosmic connection between the two players. And indeed, the similarities between Yamal and Messi continue to grow. Yamal, who made his debut in 2023, did so with none other than FC Barcelona, the team with which Messi had cemented his own name in soccer history.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
