'It's crazy' - Lionel Messi on Lamine Yamal showdown in 2026 FIFA World Cup final, 19 years on from iconic photo of him holding Spaniard as a baby

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Lionel Messi says it is ”crazy” to be coming up against Lamine Yamal in the FIFA World Cup final, nearly two decades on from the pair being pictured together when the Spaniard was just four months old.

Lionel Messi is preparing for this third FIFA World Cup final

Image credit: Getty Images

Argentina and Spain will meet in Sunday’s final, with Messi, 39, looking to land a second successive World Cup in what is likely to be his final appearance at the tournament.

At the other end of his career, 19-year-old Yamal is hoping to end his maiden appearance with glory.

There are plenty of parallels between the two players, who will likely be the most potent attacking threats of their respective teams on Sunday, with Yamal now the star player at Barcelona after coming through La Masia, lighting up the right side of their attack - a path well-trodden by Messi.

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And Sunday’s game will not be the first time their paths have crossed, with it coming to light during Euro 2024 that a 20-year-old Messi was pictured holding a fourth-month-old Yamal for a charity calendar that Sport newspaper was putting together on behalf of Barcelona and Unicef.

They were pictured together again around a decade later, with Yamal in Barcelona’s academy by this point and running into the club’s main man at the training ground.

Asked by NFL legend Tom Brady about the calendar photo-shoot from 2007, Messi said on Friday: ”That photo is crazy because, well, it's life; I had a photo with him when he was a baby, and for us to be facing in a World Cup, how I said before, it's craziness.”

Yamal's Spain team-mate Mikel Merino was in disbelief when he first saw the image, revealing to reporters that he thought it was fake.

”To be honest, it's unbelievable; the first time I saw it, I thought it was AI and wasn’t even real," he said in a press conference before Sunday's final.

”But it's funny how life works sometimes. It has these special situations that you think are scripted by someone, but it’s just how life works, the coincidence of life.

”It's unbelievable that two of the best players that have played the game, and hopefully Lamine in the future will be one of those, shared a picture like that one.

”Hopefully we’re going to see a very bright final with those two protagonists at their peak and playing and giving all the fans a big spectacle.”

Despite the upcoming contest, as Argentina look to win their fourth World Cup, Messi was full of praise for Yamal, who has been a driving force in Barcelona winning successive La Liga titles.

”Well, Lamine is a huge player, who I followed a lot because he plays [for] a club that I love, and I always wish him the best,” the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner said.

”He is one of the leaders worldwide. At 19 years of age, he has his whole career ahead of him.

”He has a great opportunity to attain something historical, which we intend to give our maximum so that it's not this time.

”But he’s one of the best in the world at the moment, without a doubt, and I wish him the best of luck because his well-being will be Barcelona’s well-being as well.”

Messi previously said: ”There is a new generation of players that’s very good and has many years ahead. If I had to choose one, it would be Lamine. Without doubt, he’s the best.”

The respect is unsurprisingly mutual, with Yamal recently saying: ”If we meet on the pitch there will be mutual respect because, for me, he is the best in history.”

But speaking to CBS in the spring, the Spaniard made it clear that he is keen to avoid comparisons.

”I want to follow my own path, that’s all; I have no intention of playing like him or anything like it. There is mutual respect; we both know I don’t want to be Messi,” he said.

'Lamine has to be Lamine' - De la Fuente on avoiding Messi comparisons

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente echoed the need for Yamal to avoid comparisons with Messi before Sunday's final.

The 65-year-old praised the "attitude" and "behaviour" of Messi, who has scored eight goals and registered four assists during this summer's tournament.

Yamal, meanwhile, has struggled to deliver the same output, despite some promising performances, scoring just one goal and yet to assist a team-mate.

But speaking to reporters on Friday, De la Fuente spoke of the need for Yamal to focus on himself as he looks to reach the heights he has shown during recent seasons.

"Messi is a one-of-a-kind player; he is an immense talent and, above all, an example - and I want to reiterate this time and again - an example for younger athletes," he said.

"His attitude, his behaviour at his age in this World Cup, where he is putting on such a show, seems to me like an example.

"But Lamine has to be Lamine, and I think the best way we can help him is by supporting him, helping him continue to be the Lamine we have known, because he also has exceptional future potential."

Yamal came to the World Cup with a hamstring injury, while he skipped the main training session on Thursday after taking a ”hard knock” during the semi-final win over France.

But De la Fuente said the winger was in ”perfect physical condition” before their final training session on Saturday.

”Lamine is fine. All the players trained well today,” De la Fuente said.

”We have our final training session tomorrow. These are the most critical moments, [we’re] hoping there’s no setback because there won’t be enough hours afterwards to recover if some adverse situation were to happen - God willing it won’t - but everyone is fine.”

He said the ”heavy blow” against Yamal ”was in a very painful spot”, adding: ”It’s what we colloquially call a ‘dead leg’ in the thigh area, and it’s very painful.

”But he got through the match just fine; he sat out yesterday as a precaution, because he was feeling some slight discomfort. We’d rather he rests. Besides, it was a ‘rest day'. That kind of rest is what we call ‘invisible training’.”

”He’s fine - there are no issues with him; he’s in perfect physical condition.”

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