At 16 years old, Lamine Yamal has made a name for himself in the soccer world and is already being compared to some of the sport's legends.
It only makes sense, then that he was—at least briefly—surrounded by soccer greats from an early age.
As Yamal competes for Spain in the 2024 European Championship, pictures from a 2007 photoshoot began circulating on social media of Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi posing for a charity calendar while holding a baby no more than a few months old. That baby happened to be Yamal.
Messi with a young Lamine Yamal. pic.twitter.com/5icSPlC43h
— Reshad Rahman (@ReshadFCB) July 5, 2024
At the time, Messi was a 20-year-old phenom competing in his fourth season with Barcelona.
Sixteen years later, Yamal now plays for Barcelona and became the youngest player to score in a major tournament on Tuesday with a strike in Spain's 2–1 win over France in the Euro 2024 semifinals.
Soccer fans had some fun looking back at this improbable photoshoot:
Blessed by the goat 😭🐐🐐🔥
— LowkeySportsizRight (@LowkeyRealm) July 9, 2024
He got a gifted touch, no wonder he's the best youngster in the world now
— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) July 5, 2024
This has to be some kind of ritual or something that he is destined for greatness
— Thijmen (@FCB_Thijmen) July 5, 2024
No wonder the kid is balling out here 😅
— Thechoco_tribe (@Debbybruno3) July 5, 2024
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fans Astounded by Old Photoshoot Featuring Lionel Messi Holding Infant Lamine Yamal.
