Once cradled, now rival

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will deliver one of football's most extraordinary full-circle moments as Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Spain's teenage star Lamine Yamal face each other for the first time on the game's biggest stage.

Nearly two decades ago, the two unknowingly shared a heart-warming moment during a charity photo shoot organised by FC Barcelona and UNICEF. In 2007, a 20-year-old Messi was photographed gently helping Yamal's mother, Sheila Ebana, bathe her five-month-old son in a small blue plastic tub.

The image, long forgotten, resurfaced after Yamal's meteoric rise and has since become one of football's most iconic photographs.

According to Laia Ruich of UNICEF Catalunya, photographer Joan Monfort recalled that the smiling infant instantly won Messi over during the shoot.

On the eve of Sunday's final, Messi reflected on the remarkable coincidence.

"That photo is incredible. I took a picture with him when he was a baby ... the fact that we're both playing in the World Cup now is crazy," the 39-year-old said on Friday.

Messi also praised his young opponent, describing him as one of football's brightest talents.

"He's a tremendous player, a global star. He's only 19 and has his whole career ahead of him. I wish him the best, but we'll give everything to make sure he doesn't become champion this time," he said.

Yamal, for his part, welcomed the chance to meet his childhood idol in football's biggest match.

"I've grown a little bit, and so has Leo. Hopefully, I can face him in a final, especially because the Finalissima couldn't happen," he said.

From a UNICEF charity photo shoot to the FIFA World Cup final, the pair's remarkable journey has come full circle, with the man who once cradled a baby now preparing to battle him for football's greatest prize.