16 Jul, 16:58··

Messi Reacts to Baby Photo with Yamal

ZEIT Online

Lionel Messi reacted to an old photo of Lamine Yamal. The photo was taken in 2004. The two players are now competing in the World Cup final.

In 2004, a photographer named Joan Monfort took a picture of FC Barcelona players with babies for a charity campaign. Lionel Messi was one of the players in the photo. Years later, Lamine Yamal used a similar photo to challenge Messi. Messi’s son, Thiago, took a photo of Yamal bathing, which became very popular online. The original photo was taken in 2007 and has become a well-known image of Messi and Yamal.

Summarized from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.

Highlights

Messi Reacts to Baby Photo

Lionel Messi responded to a childhood photo of Lamine Yamal, describing it as ‘amazing’.

Iconic Photo Recreation

The recent photo of Messi with Yamal is a recreation of a 2004 Unicef campaign photo.

Yamal's Challenge to Messi

Lamine Yamal used a 2007 photo to challenge Lionel Messi during the WM 2026 tournament.

Viral Baby Photo Moment

Lionel Messi’s son, Thiago, took a photo of Yamal bathing, which went viral.

Messi's Reaction – ‘Crazy’

Lionel Messi described the photo with Yamal as ‘crazy’ and ‘unbelievable’.

Perspectives

Sources agree
  • Lionel Messi reacted to a photo of Lamine Yamal.
  • The photo was taken in 2004 or 2007 by Joan Monfort.
  • Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are now competing in the World Cup final.
  • The photo highlights a connection between a football legend and a rising star.
Sources disagree
The significance of the photo's origin

Source NU.nl, RTL Nieuws, ZEIT Online, El País, la Repubblica, New state that the photo was taken in 2004 or 2007 as part of a Unicef campaign. It was a recreation of an iconic image.

NU.nl, RTL Nieuws, ZEIT Online, El País, la Repubblica, New

Source Der Spiegel and ORF News state that the photo was taken in 2007 as a challenge during the WM 2026 tournament.

Der Spiegel, ORF News

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Messi's reaction to the photo

Source RTL Nieuws, El País, and New describe Messi’s reaction as ‘amazing’ or ‘crazy’ reflecting on the unusual circumstances.

RTL Nieuws, El País, New

Source Der Spiegel and ZEIT Online describe Messi’s reaction as ‘crazy’ and ‘verrückt’ respectively.

Der Spiegel, ZEIT Online

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Timeline

2d 7h span
17 Jul, 07:0619 Jul, 14:15
footballcelebritysportyouthphotography