Jul 17 (V7N)- As football fans across the globe eagerly await the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, an old photograph featuring Lionel Messi and a baby Lamine Yamal has become one of the tournament's most talked-about moments.

Argentina are aiming to win their fourth World Cup title and defend the trophy they lifted in 2022, while Spain are seeking their second world crown and first since 2010. Beyond the tactical battle on the pitch, the remarkable connection between Messi and Yamal has added an emotional dimension to the final.

The photograph dates back to 2007, when a 20-year-old Lionel Messi was a rising star at Barcelona. During a UNICEF charity photo session at Camp Nou, Messi was paired with a baby and his mother for a promotional calendar.

That baby was Lamine Yamal.

Yamal's mother, Sheila Ebana, who was just 16 at the time, had won a UNICEF lottery that allowed families to take photographs with Barcelona players. Originally from Equatorial Guinea, she was living in Catalonia, where she had started a family with Moroccan-born Munir Nasraoui.

The memorable photos were taken by Associated Press photographer Joan Monfort, who recalled that Messi appeared shy and initially seemed unsure about holding the baby during the shoot.

"They had won a lottery to take pictures with a Barcelona player at Camp Nou. Fortunately for them, it was Messi," Monfort said.

After the photo session, the images remained largely forgotten for years. They resurfaced when Yamal's father shared them on social media during his son's breakthrough ahead of UEFA Euro 2024, captioning them: "The beginning of the journey of two legends."

Monfort later admitted that he had no idea the baby from that day would eventually become one of world football's brightest stars.

Yamal's journey since then has been extraordinary. He joined Barcelona's famed La Masia academy at the age of six, made his La Liga debut in April 2023 at just 15 years old, and debuted for Spain at 16. After helping Spain win UEFA Euro 2024, he has emerged as one of the country's biggest football stars and now wears Barcelona's iconic No. 10 shirt once made famous by Messi.

Now, nearly two decades after that unforgettable photograph, fate has brought the two together once again—this time as opponents on football's biggest stage.

Argentina and Spain will meet in the FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on July 19, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 am Bangladesh time. The match will mark the first senior international meeting between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, adding another unforgettable chapter to one of football's most remarkable stories.

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