The photo he took with baby Yamal went viral — and Messi wants the prodigy to have an off day in the final
Messi addressed the viral photo with Yamal and made his intentions clear for Sunday's final: he wants the Spanish prodigy to have a bad day.
Nineteen years ago, Lionel Messi posed for a photo alongside a baby named Lamine Yamal for a charity campaign. On Sunday, the two meet again — this time in a World Cup final.
"It's crazy because in my whole life I only took one photo with him," Messi said when asked about the image that took over the internet. The comment captures the weight of the moment perfectly: the greatest of all time facing the heir he unwittingly helped turn into a myth.
But Messi didn't come to be gracious. He came to win. And he made it plain: "We're going to try to play a good game so that he's not at his best." Admiration exists — it just stays outside the pitch.
The Argentine also praised Yamal — "he has a great career ahead of him" — before landing the caveat: "I hope it's not this time." Elegance and competitiveness in the same package, as always.
On the other side, Yamal carries a detail few people know: he grew up trying to be Neymar, not Messi. But when asked who the greatest player in history is, the answer comes without hesitation — it's the man he'll be facing on Sunday, according to UOL Esporte.
For Messi, this final is his third in World Cups. Routine for someone operating at a level no one else can reach.
The Golmetria model gives Argentina a 33% chance of lifting the trophy — favourites, but far from certain. Spain didn't come to make up the numbers.
On Sunday, in New Jersey, the 2006 photo gets a chapter no one could have written. Who will close the album with the trophy?