Barcelona confirm the reason behind viral photo of young Messi with baby Yamal

In the last few hours, social media has gone wild with the picture of a young Lionel Messi holding a baby Lamine Yamal in his arms. And it didn’t take long for Barcelona to explain the story behind this photo, which promises to become iconic.

Call it destiny or coincidence, but the 20-year-old Messi was pictured with a six-month-old Yamal for a 2008 charity calendar organized by the FC Barcelona Foundation in association with Catalan outlet Sport to raise funds for UNICEF and the Foundation’s charity work.

The project started in 2004, with an annual calendar being printed each year. According to a club statement, the 2008 edition aimed to highlight “the programmes for the support of children around the world and was supported by members of the senior football team.”

Apart from Messi, the likes of Deco, Bojan Krkic, Rafa Marquez and Xavi Hernandez were also chosen to appear in the photos. And that’s how Leo happened to take a picture with a baby who would eventually draw comparisons with him in world soccer.

Years after the viral photo, Yamal looks to follow in Messi’s footsteps

Since that picture was taken, Lionel Messi went on to make a case to be considered not only the greatest player to ever don the FC Barcelona uniform, but also the best to ever play the game. The Argentine holds club records for most appearances and goals, among many other milestones.

But Lamine Yamal has also been setting many records of his own, having established himself with Barcelona’s first team at only 16. Now, his name is making even more headlines as he shines for Spain at the UEFA Euro 2024.

Leo left Catalonia a few years before Yamal got promoted to the first team, so they didn’t get the chance to play together after the now historic picture. But there’s a possibility Messi and Yamal face each other on the international stage in the near future.

Martin O’Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.