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Messi Reflects on 'Amazing' Photo with Baby Lamine Yamal Ahead of World Cup Final
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka /Sports

Messi Reflects on 'Amazing' Photo with Baby Lamine Yamal Ahead of World Cup Final

From Lankadeepa · () Sinhala

Translated from Sinhala, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A photo shows Lionel Messi as a young man holding a baby, later identified as Lamine Yamal.
  • Messi commented that playing with Yamal in the World Cup is amazing, recalling the 2007 photo session.
  • The photo was taken during a 2007 session for FC Barcelona and UNICEF, with photographer Joan Montfort capturing the image.

A photograph circulating from the World Cup final has drawn attention, showing a young Lionel Messi cradling a baby. This baby has since been identified as Lamine Yamal, a rising star currently playing for Spain's national football team and FC Barcelona.

Playing with Yamal in the World Cup is truly amazing.

— Lionel MessiMessi's reflection on playing with Lamine Yamal, recalling a photo from 2007.

Messi himself commented on the image, noting the surreal experience of playing alongside Yamal in the World Cup. He recalled the original photo session in 2007, which was conducted for FC Barcelona and UNICEF. Photographer Joan Montfort captured the now-famous image, which Messi described as "truly amazing."

That photo collection was taken in 2007 for FC Barcelona and UNICEF. Photographer Joan Montfort took that collection of photos, and the photo everyone is talking about is truly amazing.

— Lionel MessiMessi explaining the origin and significance of the photo showing him with a baby Lamine Yamal.

In the 2007 photograph, a 20-year-old Messi is seen assisting Yamal's mother, Sheila Ebana, in placing the then five-month-old baby into a blue plastic basin. Messi expressed his astonishment at the full circle moment, stating how incredible it is to now be competing in a World Cup with Yamal, who was an infant in that picture.

It is truly amazing to be able to play in the World Cup with Yamal, who was a baby when he appeared in a photo with me.

— Lionel MessiMessi expressing his wonder at the full-circle moment of playing with Yamal in the World Cup.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Lankadeepa in Sinhala. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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