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Barcelona teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has commented on a photo of himself as a baby being carried in the arms of club legend Lionel Messi that went viral a year ago. In December 2007, a young Messi was photographed bathing a baby Yamal in the dressing room of the Camp Nou in Barcelona for a charity calendar photoshoot.
The image resurfaced nearly 17 years later after Lamine Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, posted it on Instagram in July 2024 with the caption, ‘The beginning of two legends.’ Since then, Yamal has been mesmerizing fans with his dribbling ability and creativity, which have earned him comparisons to Lionel Messi.
In a recent interview, Yamal, who celebrated his 18th birthday three days ago, reflected on the viral moment with humility and delight, expressing his amazement at how things had unfolded. He said (via All About Argentina):
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"The truth is I’m surprised because Messi is holding me in his arms, and I’m not even looking at him, I don’t know what I was doing, but I’m very happy to have the photo with the best player in history."
Lamine Yamal, who rose through Barcelona’s famed academy, has made a name for himself at the Catalan club since breaking into the first team. He played a key role in their domestic treble triumph during the 2024-25 campaign.
When Lamine Yamal said his photos with Lionel Messi were hidden to avoid comparisons
After the photos of a young Lionel Messi and a baby Lamine Yamal went viral, the latter revealed that the photographs had been kept private to avoid early comparisons with the Argentine icon - something that could have put unnecessary pressure on him.
A lot of football fans even joked that Yamal plays so well because he was ‘anointed’ by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. In an interview with Jijantes, Yamal explained that his father intentionally kept the photos under wraps:
"Obviously, in the moment the photos were taken I wasn't conscious of what was going on at that age. My dad had the photos saved and they never came out, basically because we didn't want the comparisons with Messi.
"No one would be annoyed to be compared with the best to ever play the game, but it's something that could work against you because you're never going to be like him."
Interestingly, Yamal and Messi are both left-footed players, and the former is currently a strong contender for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
