World Cup 2026: Lionel Messi and Tom Brady discuss 'prophetic' Lamine Yamal photos - BBC
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are set to face off in the 2026 World Cup final, a matchup highlighted by a viral 2007 photograph of the two together. The event featured various celebrities and sports stars discussing the significance of the match.
Why it matters
The narrative of a veteran legend facing a young prodigy he once held as a baby has captured global cultural attention.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Lionel Messi appeared at the Fifa event on Friday night alongside former NFL legend and minority owner of Birmingham City Tom Brady
Argentina captain Lionel Messi says it is "crazy" to be facing Spain's Lamine Yamal in Sunday's World Cup final after being photographed with him as a baby.
In 2007 Lamine Yamal's parents won a charity photoshoot at Barcelona in which 20-year-old Messi held their five-month-old baby.
Speaking to Messi during a news conference in New York, NFL legend Tom Brady called the photos "very prophetic".
Messi said: "That photo is incredible. The fact that we're both playing in the World Cup now is crazy."
Image source, Joan Monfort Image caption, The picture of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal from 2007
Lamine Yamal made his Barcelona debut at 15 and has inherited the number 10 shirt from Messi.
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