"A True Miracle of Fate": The Incredible Story of the First Meeting Between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal

Given that Lionel Messi is now 39 years old and Lamine Yamal is only 19, the mere fact that a match involving both could take place — not to mention the main showdown of world football — speaks to the incredible persistence of the former and the exceptional talent of the latter. However, this is far from the first time their paths have crossed, writes the BBC.

This happened back in 2007, when 20-year-old Messi had just secured his place in Barcelona's main squad, and Lamine Yamal was only five months old.

This meeting was captured by a series of photographs taken by Joan Monfort.

The photos became well-known again two years ago when Lamine Yamal helped the Spanish national team win Euro 2024.

Then his father published one of them on social media with the caption: "The beginning of two legends."

In the pictures, a smiling Messi holds and bathes a small boy who, years later, would incredibly follow almost the exact same football path.

"This is a true miracle of fate," Monfort told BBC Sport. "It's a happy accident when you find something much more special than you could have imagined."

If this were shown in a movie, it would seem incredible."

"Messi Had No Idea What To Do With The Baby"

The photoshoot took place in the visitors' changing room at Camp Nou stadium. Lamine Yamal's family got there by winning a competition.

Павялічыць

His parents — Munir Nasraoui, a native of Morocco, and Sheila Ebana, a native of Equatorial Guinea — met in Catalonia, where both their families had moved during their childhood.

Lamine Yamal became their first child. Soon after his birth, his parents participated in a lottery organized by the Catalan newspaper Sport in conjunction with Barcelona's shirt sponsor and the international children's organization UNICEF.

Winners received the opportunity to have a professional photoshoot of their baby with a first-team Barcelona player.

Lamine Yamal was among the winners, and on the day of the photoshoot, he was coincidentally brought together with Messi.

"Until 2024, I didn't even know that Lamine was in those photos until one of my friends called and said his father had published them on Instagram," Monfort recalls.

"Messi is a very reserved, humble, and shy person. He walked into the changing room, and suddenly he had to be photographed with a small baby. It was clear from his face that he simply didn't know what to do.

It wasn't easy for the young man. But Lamine was a very cheerful and smiling baby. His mother, Sheila, helped us. She herself was still very young; the family lived very modestly, but they were very pleasant to work with.

Messi always behaved professionally in such situations and adapted very quickly."

"I Will Never Be Able To Repay My Parents"

By his 19th birthday, Messi had scored 11 professional goals and won the Spanish Championship and the UEFA Champions League once each.

Lamine Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, has already scored 56 goals, become Spanish champion three times, won the Copa del Rey, and also became European champion with the national team.

Yamal is not the footballer's surname, but the second part of his given name.

His full name is Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana. "Lamine Yamal" is written on his jerseys for Barcelona and the Spanish national team — in gratitude to two people who helped his family during a difficult period after his birth.

Spanish media reported that his father promised to name his son after two friends who financially supported the family when they struggled to pay bills.

The name Lamine is widespread in Arabic and can mean "honest" or "trustworthy." Yamal is a variant of the name Jamal, which translates to "beauty" or "elegance."

The future footballer grew up in the working-class neighborhood of Rocafonda in Mataró, 30 kilometers north of Barcelona.

Павялічыць

This neighborhood was built in the 1960s for migrants from other regions of Spain. When they began moving to more affluent neighborhoods, migrants from other countries started arriving en masse in the 1990s.

After some of his goals, Lamine Yamal made a "3-0-4" gesture with his fingers — this is the postal code for Rocafonda.

"What my mom and dad did, I couldn't do for anyone but my own child," Yamal said in an interview with El País during the tournament. "When you don't have money, it's very difficult to help a child play football. But my parents managed to make it work. And I will never be able to repay them for that."

"My Heart Is Torn In Two"

For Joan Monfort, a Catalan and a Barcelona fan, the meeting of Messi and Lamine Yamal on the football pitch is the perfect conclusion to a story that began almost two decades ago.

"I think we are completing the cycle of their story," says 58-year-old Monfort. "It's a happy ending."

I am a Barcelona fan, and in my opinion, it would be ideal for Messi to end his career by winning the World Cup for a second time. I believe he deserves it.

And Lamine will still have plenty of time to win trophies like the World Cup. But now, both the Spanish national team and Lamine himself are on the rise, so if he wins now, this title will be worth even more than all his previous achievements. It's very difficult for me. My heart is torn in two," he said.

• 13
• 0
• 2
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 3