‘It’s just crazy’: Lionel Messi reacts to viral photo with baby Lamin Yamal ahead of World Cup final

20-year-old Lionel Messi cradles Lamine Yamal, who was just six months old at the time, during a September 2007 photo shoot in the dressing room of the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, ​​Spain. (AP/PTI) Almost two decades after a charity photoshoot brought them together, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will meet in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, turning one of football’s most unlikely photos into reality.Back then, photographer Joan Monfort didn’t think much of the images he captured. They showed 20-year-old Messi helping to bathe infant Yamal in a small plastic tub while filming a charity calendar. Almost 20 years later, the two will meet when defending champions Argentina take on European champions Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium.The photo went viral ahead of the final and is being hailed by many as one of football’s most remarkable coincidences.“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.Messi admitted he was equally surprised by how events unfolded.“That picture with Lamino, now we’re facing the final after the picture was taken when he was a kid,” Messi told seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady at Fanatics Fest on Friday. “It’s just crazy.The photo was taken by freelance photographer Joan Monfort during a promotional charity shoot when Messi was 20 years old and Yamal was still a child. Now the two will be on opposite sides in the biggest game in world football.Messi also spoke of his admiration for Yamal, who now plays for FC Barcelona, ​​the same club where the Argentine spent more than two decades between 2000 and 2021.“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.”Both players are aiming for history in Sunday’s final.Messi could become the first player to captain a team to win FIFA World Cup titles. Yamal, meanwhile, could become the second-youngest player to start and win a World Cup final.For both, the only obstacle is the player standing on the other side.“We will try to play a good game, but I hope he and his team don’t play a good game,” Messi said.Argentina booked their place in the final after beating England in the semi-finals, while Spain beat France to set up a title showdown on Sunday.