Messi calls viral baby‑bath snap ‘crazy’ as Yamal eyes World Cup final

In the bustling corridors of MetLife Stadium, Lionel Messi recalled a 2007 UNICEF photo of himself cradling a five‑month‑old Lamine Yamal, calling the resurfaced image ‘crazy’ as the two prepare to meet in the World Cup final on Sunday. The charity calendar picture, taken for a 2007 UNICEF campaign, shows the Argentine legend gently holding the infant in a plastic bathtub inside the Camp Nou locker room. The image captures a shy Messi navigating the soapy water while the baby smiles. Spain’s Mikel Merino admitted he was like many fans when he first saw the photo, believing it was AI‑generated. “The first time I saw it, I thought it was AI and that it wasn’t even real,” he told reporters on Friday. The photographs have been confirmed as authentic and have resurfaced this week because Argentina and Spain will clash in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The match will be broadcast by Fox at 3 p.m. ET from New Jersey.

FIFA probes political banner as World Cup drama unfolds in Argentina

Messi said Yamal is one of the best players in the world and wished him success, adding that he hopes the youngster’s rise will also benefit Barcelona, the club where Yamal now plays. He described the baby‑bath image as “crazy” and surreal. The original shot originated from a 2007 UNICEF calendar organized by Barcelona’s foundation and the Spanish newspaper Diario Sport, where families entered a raffle for a chance to pose with a player. The Yamal family won, bringing five‑month‑old Lamine into the locker room for the photo. Freelance photographer Joan Monfort recalled a plastic bathtub filled with soapy water inside the locker room, with a shy Messi unsure how to interact with the infant. Monfort said the moment was captured for the annual tradition of pairing La Liga stars with children.

World Cup reshapes Ballon d’Or race ahead of Yamal’s showdown with Messi

Seven years later Yamal entered Barcelona’s La Masia academy, debuted in April 2023 wearing the iconic No. 10 jersey once worn by Messi, and earned a Spain call‑up five months later, contributing to La Roja’s Euro 2024 triumph. Monfort told the Associated Press that the images have exploded worldwide and that the U.S. location of the final has given the story an extra push, calling the showdown between Messi and Yamal “better than any film script.”