'A true miracle of destiny' - Messi and Lamine Yamal's incredible first meeting

Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal's history goes back almost two decades

The greatest footballer of all-time and the heir to his crown on the right wing at Barcelona will face each other for the first time when Argentina play Spain in Sunday's World Cup final.

Given Lionel Messi is now 39 and Lamine Yamal just 19, it is testament to the former's relentless perseverance and the latter's precocious talent that a match featuring both can take place at all, never mind in the sport's greatest fixture.

But this is far from the first time the two have crossed paths.

That happened in 2007, when a 20-year-old Messi had recently become a regular starter for Barcelona, and Lamine Yamal was only five months old.

The meeting is documented in a series of photographs taken by Joan Monfort.

They resurfaced two years ago, when Lamine Yamal helped Spain win Euro 2024, as his father posted one online with the caption "The beginning of two legends".

In the photos, a smiling Messi is cradling and bathing a tiny baby boy who would inexplicably follow so closely in his footballing footsteps.

"It is serendipity - when you find something extra special, so much bigger than you ever thought.

The photoshoot took place in the away dressing room at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium.

His parents, Morocco-born Mounir Nasraoui and Sheila Ebana from Equatorial Guinea, met after moving to Catalonia as children with their own families.

Lamine Yamal is their eldest child, and shortly after he was born, they entered a raffle run by Catalan newspaper Sport in conjunction with Barcelona shirt sponsor and international children's charity Unicef.

Those selected at random would have professional photos taken of their baby with a Barcelona first-team player.

Lamine Yamal was among the winners, and on the day the family arrived, they were paired with Messi by chance.

Lamine Yamal's mother Sheila Ebana also took part in the photo shoot

"I had no idea it was Lamine in the photo until one my friends called me in 2024 and told me his father had posted it to Instagram," Monfort explains.

"Messi is a really introverted guy, very timid and shy. He came into the dressing room and suddenly had to take these photos with a little baby - not even a kid, a proper baby and his face changed like he had no idea what to do!

"It is difficult for a young man, but Lamine was a very happy, smiley little baby. His mum Sheila helped us, she was a young girl and they were a very poor family, but they were very nice to work with.

"Messi was always a professional in these kinds of things and he adapted to the situa