From snapshot to stardom: Old photo of pre-fame Messi with Euro 2024 wonder kid Lamine Yamal resurfaces
KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — A photo of FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi “blessing” a baby Lamine Yamal in the late 2000s has gone viral after it was shared on social media by the Spanish international’s father.
The 2007 photo went viral after Yamal’s father recently posted it on Instagram with the caption: “The beginning of two legends.”
It’s common for academy talents to cross paths with first-team stars and take photos together at any club. However, what makes this particular photograph so unique is that Lamine appears to be barely out of the womb.
Freelance photographer Joan Monfort captured the now viral photo for a charity calendar 17 year ago.
According to a report in The Guardian Monfort foresaw Messi’s future success in football but had no idea the baby would also rise to prominence.
In autumn 2007, Monfort, 56, organised a charity photoshoot at Barcelona’s Camp Nou. The event, part of an annual charity drive by
Diario Sport and Unicef, involved Barcelona players posing with children and their families.
Messi was paired with the family of Yamal, who was just a few months old.
Monfort recalled the challenging shoot in an interview with The Guardian. He said Messi, being shy and introverted, was unsure how to interact with the baby, who was in a plastic tub. Yamal’s family won the opportunity through a raffle held by Unicef in their Mataró neighbourhood.
The teen sensation is currently shining at the Euro 2024 tournament with Spain. Yamal like Messi, was nurtured by the renowned La Masia academy, joining at the age of seven.
Earlier today, Yamal became the youngest scorer at a Euro or World Cup tournament. The 16-year-old canceled out Randal Kolo Muani’s opener with a sublime shot in the 21st minute.
Dani Olmo added another in the 25th for his third goal in the knockout stage sending Spain to the finals.
The tricky winger has already played 51 times for Barcelona, scoring seven goals.
The previous youngest player at the Euros was Poland’s Kacper Kozlowski — 17 years and 246 days — in a 1-1 group-stage draw against Spain in Seville in June 2021, Yamal could break a few more records in the coming days.
