The king and the prince: the story behind Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal's 'bathtub photo'

A 2007 photograph featuring a baby alongside a young Lionel Messi, originally taken for a charity calendar, has captured renewed attention. The image, which resurfaced just before Spain's Euro 2024 quarter-final match, shows a then 20-year-old Messi with a five-month-old baby in a bathtub.

The baby in the iconic photo has been identified as Lamine Yamal, who has since risen to prominence as a star player for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. The photographer, Joan Monfort, had forgotten about the shoot until contacted by Spanish sports newspaper SPORT. Yamal's father had shared one of the photos on Instagram ten days before Spain's quarter-final win.

The "doping" of Yamal by Messi, as captured in the photograph, has been described as having a supernatural quality, drawing comparisons to the myth of Achilles being dipped in the River Styx to become invulnerable. While the extent of this mythological parallel is debated, similarities between the two players are noted in 2026. Yamal is widely seen as the heir to Messi's legacy at Barcelona, playing in the same left-footed position and showcasing similar creative passing and dribbling skills that carry the team.

However, differences also exist. Statistics show that Messi had scored nine goals in 34 matches for FC Barcelona before turning nineteen, a benchmark against which Yamal's current performance is being measured. The article implies a comparison of their early careers, suggesting that Yamal's current impact at a young age is being evaluated against Messi's historical performance.

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