Messi and Yamal: A Twist of Fate from Bathtub to World Cup Final

By Ananya Iyer — 17 July 2026 — 4 min read

A photograph taken almost two decades ago, featuring a teenage Lionel Messi holding an infant Lamine Yamal, has gained significant attention in the lead-up to the World Cup final. The image, captured by photographer Joan Monfort, shows Messi with soap suds on his hands, holding Yamal in a plastic bathtub. This photograph has become a prominent talking point as Messi’s Argentina is set to face Yamal’s Spain for the biggest trophy in the sport.

Monfort, a freelance photojournalist, originally took the pictures in 2007 for a charity calendar. The calendar was a collaboration between a local newspaper and UNICEF. Yamal’s mother participated in the photoshoot after winning a raffle for families in Mataró, near Barcelona. Yamal was paired with Messi for the shoot, a pairing that has since been described as a twist of fate given their current roles in international football.

The Resurfacing of an Iconic Image

The photograph remained largely forgotten until Yamal’s father posted one of the images on social media during the 2024 European Championship. The image subsequently went viral. Monfort noted that interest in his photos has escalated significantly with the impending World Cup final, describing the situation as having “exploded all over the world.” He also mentioned that the final being held in the U.S. has contributed to the increased attention.

Monfort expressed that the sequence of events leading to Messi and Yamal facing each other in the final is “better than any film script.” He has received numerous inquiries for the photos from professional media outlets and has observed his images being widely reproduced online without proper credit or compensation.

Mikel Merino, Yamal’s teammate for Spain, reacted to the photo, stating that his initial thought was that it was an AI-generated image and not real. Merino commented on the unlikelihood of two prominent players sharing such a picture, hoping for a bright final performance from both protagonists.

La Masia’s Influence on Both Players

The footballing philosophies that shaped both Messi and Yamal originated from La Masia, Barcelona‘s renowned youth academy. La Masia, which translates to “The Farmhouse,” was an old Catalan farmhouse built in 1702 that housed young Barcelona players between 1979 and 2011. In 2010, La Masia became the first youth academy to have trained all three players who occupied the Ballon d’Or podium: Messi, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta. Spain’s sole World Cup victory in that same year featured seven Barcelona players in the starting lineup for the final, with six of them being La Masia graduates.

The original farmhouse ceased housing players in 2011, with residents moving to a more modern academy. However, La Masia continued as a concept, representing Barcelona’s tradition of identifying, educating, and promoting technically skilled footballers. Yamal’s emergence is seen by some as a reflection of Barcelona’s renewed focus on La Masia, particularly after the club faced financial difficulties.

The academy’s goal was not to replicate players like Messi, Yamal, Xavi, or Iniesta, but rather to instill a common footballing tradition. This tradition emphasized receiving the ball, scanning the field, identifying gaps, creating angles, maintaining width, and understanding spatial awareness. The underlying principle of La Masia’s philosophy, known as Total Football, was introduced to Barcelona by Rinus Michels from Ajax, followed by Johan Cruyff.

Total Football’s central tenet involves players interchanging positions while the team maintains its structure, requiring each player to understand multiple roles. Cruyff, upon his return as manager in 1988, led his Dream Team to four consecutive league titles and Barcelona’s first European Cup in 1992. His philosophy prioritized technical intelligence over physical prowess, leading the academy to select players based on their understanding of specific functions.

One notable graduate of this system was Pep Guardiola, who later became a manager. Guardiola famously compared Cruyff’s legacy to a painted chapel that subsequent Barcelona coaches could only restore or enhance. Louis van Gaal, another influential figure, also believed in Total Football, though his approach emphasized discipline. His first spell at Barcelona resulted in two league titles and a Copa del Rey, and it was also described as a significant coaching seminar, attended by individuals such as Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Phillip Cocu, Frank de Boer, Xavi, and Carles Puyol. Years later, Xavi would return as Barcelona manager and promote Yamal to the first team.

Monfort, a lifelong Barcelona supporter, finds himself in a dilemma regarding the final, stating his heart is split between Messi and Yamal. He expressed an enduring admiration for Messi, while also acknowledging Yamal’s impact and his representation of a diverse Spain.

Source: apnews.com