‘I hope he doesn’t have a good game’: Lionel Messi vows to deny World Cup glory to ‘truly amazing’ Lamine Yamal ahead of Argentina clash with Sapino

Lionel Messi has praised Spanish teenager Lamin Yamal ahead of the 2026 World Cup finals, but made it clear Argentina will do whatever it takes to prevent him from making history.The defending champions take on European champions Spain at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday and Yamal is aiming to add another milestone to his growing career. Messi acknowledged the teenager’s rise but said Argentina’s priority was to ensure the historic moment did not come at their expense.“Lamine is really amazing,” Messi said. “I’ve watched him a lot because he plays for a club I love so much. He has a chance to achieve something historic – we’ll try to make sure it doesn’t happen this time.”Messi spoke with seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady at Fanatics Fest on Friday, where he also reflected on one of the most talked-about photos of recent days.The picture, taken nearly two decades ago, shows 20-year-old Messi bathing baby Yamal during a promotional charity photo shoot in Barcelona. The picture has gone viral again ahead of Sunday’s final as the two will now face each other on football’s biggest stage.“The photo with Lamino, now we are facing the final after the photo was taken when he was a child,” Messi said. “It’s just crazy.The photo was taken by freelance photographer Joan Monfort, who admitted he never imagined its meaning when he clicked it.Almost two decades ago, Monfort photographed a teenage Messi bathing a baby boy in a plastic bathtub during a charity calendar shoot. A few years later, this child grew up to become the Spanish star Lamine Yamal.Now the images have become one of the biggest topics ahead of the World Cup final between Messi’s Argentina and Jamal’s Spain.“I’ve never been a believer or thought anything should happen, but I’m starting to have doubts. This is beyond any reasonable explanation,” Monfort told the Associated Press on Friday from his home in Barcelona.While the photo captured the imagination of football fans, Messi was firmly focused on Sunday’s final.The Argentina captain said he was following Yamal’s progress closely, especially as the teenager now plays for Barcelona, ​​the club where Messi spent 21 years between 2000 and 2021.However, Messi hopes the 19-year-old does not produce another memorable performance in the final.“We will try to play a good game, but I hope he and his team don’t play a good game,” Messi said.Both players have history within reach.Messi could become the first player to win back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles as captain, while Yamal could become the second-youngest player to start and win a World Cup final.After their semi-final victories, defending champions Argentina and European champions Spain will meet in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday.