Spanish Starlet Yamal Addresses Viral Photo with Messi
Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal has spoken out about a recently viral photo showing him as a baby being bathed by Lionel Messi.
The photo, taken in 2007 during Yamal’s childhood visit to Barcelona’s Camp Nou, has resurfaced as Yamal shines for Spain at Euro 2024.
“I’ve never spoken to Messi about the photo,” Yamal told Jijantes FC. “Obviously, I don’t remember it since I was just a toddler at the time.” He explained that his family kept the photo private to avoid comparisons between him and the legendary Argentine player.
With both players having emerged from Barcelona’s youth academy, comparisons between Yamal and Messi were inevitable.
The 17-year-old acknowledges this but remains grounded: “It’s an honor to be compared to the best ever,” he said. “But I know I’ll never reach the same level as Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.”