Lionel Messi He praised Spanish teenager Lamine Yamar ahead of the 2026 World Cup final but made it clear that Argentina will do everything possible to prevent him from making history.The defending champions will face European champions Spain at the New York Stadium on Sunday, with Yamal aiming to add another milestone to his growing career. Messi acknowledged the teenager’s rise to prominence but said Argentina’s priority was to ensure this historic moment did not come at their expense.“Lamine is really good,” Messi said. “I follow him regularly because he plays for a club that I love so much. He has the chance to achieve something historic – and we will try to make sure that doesn’t happen this time.”Messi spoke to seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady on Friday at Mania, where he also looked back at one of the most talked-about photos in football in recent days.The photo, taken nearly two decades ago, shows a 20-year-old Messi bathing baby Yamal in a promotional charity photo in Barcelona. The photo has gone viral again ahead of Sunday’s final as the pair will now face off on football’s biggest stage.“That photo with Lamin, after taking the photo of him as a baby, now we are facing the final,” Messi said. “It’s crazy.”The photo was taken by freelance photographer Joan Monfort, who admitted that when he clicked the photo, he never imagined its significance.Nearly two decades ago, Monfort photographed a teenage Messi bathing her baby boy in a plastic tub during a charity calendar shoot. Years later, the baby grew up to be Spanish star Lamine Yamar.The images have now become one of the hottest topics ahead of the World Cup final between Messi’s Argentina and Yamal’s Spain.“I’ve never been a believer or thought anything was destined to happen, but I started to have doubts. This is beyond all reasonable explanation,” Monfort told The Associated Press at his home in Barcelona on Friday.While the photo has captured fans’ imaginations, Messi’s focus remains on Sunday’s final.The Argentina captain said he has been closely following Yamal’s progress, especially since the teenager now plays for Barcelona, ​​the club where Messi spent 21 years between 2000 and 2021.However, Messi hopes the 19-year-old doesn’t have another memorable performance in the final.“We will try to have a good game, but I hope he and his team don’t have a good game,” Messi said.Both players have history at their fingertips.Messi could become first player to win back-to-back games fifa world cup As captain, Yamal could become the second-youngest player to start a World Cup final and win the title.Defending champions Argentina and European champions Spain will meet in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday following wins in their respective semi-finals.
