Lamine Yamal at 19: How the Baby Messi Once Held Became a World Cup Winner
In 2007, a six-month-old baby named Lamine Yamal was photographed
being cradled by Lionel Messi. On July 19, 2026, that same Lamine
Yamal stood on the pitch against that same Messi in the World Cup
final — and when Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time at MetLife
Stadium, it was Yamal who left as a World Cup champion at 19. The
full story of the most extraordinary final in recent World Cup history.