Messi Meets Lamine Yamal: The Story Behind the Photo Everyone's Talking About
As World Cup superstars Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal prepare to battle for the championship on July 19, 2026, a look back at the photo shoot that brought them together nearly 20 years ago, and their shared commitment to helping the world's children with UNICEF.
The meeting of two legends
The year was 2007. Lionel "Leo" Messi, 20, was already considered one of the world's best young football players. Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, was just getting started.
The two posed for a photo shoot for FC Barcelona and UNICEF. In one photo, Messi helps Lamine Yamal's mother, Sheila Ebana, give the 5-month-old future football star a bath in a little blue plastic tub.
"The photographer, Joan Monfort, has said that Lamine Yamal stole Messi's heart because he was always smiling," says UNICEF Catalan's Laia Ruich.
Video: From an iconic photo shoot to the World Cup
Lamine Yamal's family had entered and won a raffle to pose with a Barcelona player for a 2008 UNICEF calendar — the photo appears on the January page. Fifty percent of calendar sales went to help fund UNICEF projects supporting children's rights.
It was the first joint effort by the two football heroes on behalf of UNICEF and its mission to protect the rights of children around the world and meet their basic needs.
A shared mission to improve the lives of children
Messi has been a UNICEF supporter since 2004; in 2010, he became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Immediately following his appointment, he travelled to Haiti with UNICEF to bring public awareness to the plight of the country's children in the wake of a catastrophic earthquake. He has spent over a decade advocating for children around the world.
This year, Lamine Yamal joined him as UNICEF’s newest Goodwill Ambassador, using his platform to advocate for every child’s right to play.
"Growing up, all I had was a family, a ball, a park and a dream," Lamine Yamal said in June. "Playing football gave me structure, a sense of belonging, and hope for the future. I know how important it is for children to have a safe place to play, so that they can simply enjoy being children, discovering the world, imagining and growing."
Learn more about the power of play
On July 19, 2026, football fans around the world will witness a remarkable full-circle moment as Lamine Yamal and Messi meet again to lead their teams in the championship game of the World Cup.
Moments like this remind us that the stories that bring people together can also inspire action. While fans around the world may be choosing sides on the pitch this weekend, UNICEF is championing something everyone can get behind: a future where every child has the opportunity to grow, play and reach their full potential.
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HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
