The story behind the now famous photos of legendary footballer Lionel Messi and six-month-old Lamine Yamal

Here’s the story behind the viral photos showing 20-year-old Lionel Messi blessing six-month-old Lamine Yamal.

In December 2007, photographer Joan Montfort took a remarkable and now iconic photo of 20-year-old Lionel Messi and six-month-old Lamine Yamal.

Montfort described the photo session as a challenge because Messi was very shy and it was difficult to capture a casual moment between the young football star and the little baby.

The photo was taken for a 2008 charity calendar organized by the FC Barcelona club foundation and a Catalan newspaper. Sports DiaryThe proceeds will go to UNICEF and various NGOs in Catalonia.

Montfort recalled in an interview with The athlete how the interaction between Messi and baby Yamal gradually became more cordial, resulting in an unforgettable photo. The picture shows Messi with Yamal in a plastic bathtub and symbolizes a tender moment between the two.

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“It’s something incredible,” says Montfort. “Back then, no one could have imagined that this baby would become who he is today – or that Messi would become who he is today.”

It was part of a larger initiative in which members of the FC Barcelona team were photographed with children to provide fond memories for the families affected.

Most of these photos have been forgotten, except for those that are dear to the families, like Yamal’s, and have preserved this special memory.

Fast forward to the present: Yamal has become Barcelona’s teenage star, creating a unique connection between the subjects of photography.

The image resurfaced when Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared it on social media, bringing the story full circle and highlighting the serendipity of this moment captured years ago.

By 2007, Messi had already made great progress in his career, winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League.

Nevertheless, he was still considered an up-and-coming talent in FC Barcelona’s star-studded team, which included Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Thierry Henry, among others.

Montfort recalled the challenges of photographing football players, where shots were often rushed, but noted that the mother’s presence was crucial in creating a comfortable atmosphere for the baby and thus successfully capturing the tender moment.

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Montfort made sure that each family received a copy of the photos and particularly acknowledged the effort Yamal’s mother made in bringing him to Camp Nou from Mataro, a town 40 kilometers northeast of Barcelona.

Yamal’s journey continued as he began traveling regularly from Mataro to Barca’s La Masia academy, where he eventually made his La Liga debut in April 2023 at the age of 15 and his international debut in September at the age of 16.

Montfort reflected on the improbability of such moments and compared the photo to other happy coincidences in football, such as a young Pep Guardiola applauding Terry Venables as he was carried on the players’ shoulders in 1986.

Montfort, who now works for Diario AS, was surprised when a former colleague contacted him after the Messi-Yamal photo was published and pointed out the photo’s unexpected journey through time.

Montfort expressed his delight at the photo’s reappearance and stressed the importance of capturing such moments, especially in today’s football world dominated by money and power.

For him, the photo of Messi and Yamal is proof of the unexpected and heartwarming stories that emerge from the world of sport.