Messi bathed baby Lamine Yamal; stars now meet in World Cup final

A unique photograph from 2007, depicting a young Lionel Messi assisting a mother in bathing a baby, has gained significant traction online ahead of the World Cup final. The baby in the image is Lamine Yamal, who is set to play against Messi in the upcoming match.

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Maybe it was Lamine who blessed Messi?

The image was captured by photographer Juan Monfort for a calendar project by FC Barcelona's charitable organization in collaboration with UNICEF. The project involved players posing with children selected through a lottery. Yamal, then just five months old, was chosen from the Rocafonda neighborhood near Barcelona.

Monfort recalled the challenge of getting the shy Messi to participate, noting that the player initially didn't know how to hold the baby. The child's mother, Sheila Ebana, was present to ensure the baby's comfort. The resulting photograph, though taken over 16 years ago, has become a talking point, with fans interpreting it as a symbolic moment.

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Messi is a quite introverted guy, he is shy. He came out of the locker room and suddenly he is in another locker room with a bathtub made of plastic filled with water and with a baby in it. It was complicated. He didn't even know how to hold him at first.

Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, has playfully suggested that perhaps it was his son who blessed Messi. This narrative adds a layer of intrigue to the final, where the two stars, connected by this unusual past encounter, will compete on the world stage. The story highlights the unexpected ways in which football legends' paths can cross.

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Perhaps it was Lamine who blessed Messi?