Lamine Yamal has revealed viral photos of him as a baby with Lionel Messi were kept secret until now to avoid any potential harm to his career.
Pictures of an infant Yamal being bathed by Messi, who was only 20 years old at the time, went viral this week. The snaps were taken as part of a charity calendar organised by Diario Sport along with UNICEF which saw Barcelona players pose with children and their families.
UNICEF organised a raffle in Yamal’s hometown of Mataro with the prize being featured in the photoshoot.
The 16-year-old has quickly been compared to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner since breaking through in Catalonia and heads into Sunday’s Euro 2024 final having starred as one of the best players of the tournament.
The photo surfaced after Yamal’s father posted it on Instagram alongside the caption: “The beginning of two legends.”
The teenage sensation has now opened up the iconic pictures, telling Jijantes: “Obviously, in the moment the photos were taken I wasn’t conscious of what was going on at that age.
“My dad had the photos saved and they never came out, basically because we didn’t want the comparisons with Messi.
“No one would be annoyed to be compared with the best to ever play the game, but it’s something that could work against you because you’re never going to be like him.”
Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, even joked that Messi’s subsequent legendary career after crossing paths with the Spain star was as a result of their chance meeting.
“Maybe it was Lamine who blessed Leo,” he said. “The photo is a coincidence in life.
“For me he is the best in everything, not only in football, in love, in person and in everything. He is a child and has a blessing from God, which is very important and must be valued.”
Yamal will hope to inspire Spain to Euro 2024 glory on Sunday when they take on England, while Messi can lead Argentina to another Copa America title if they beat Colombia in the early hours of Monday morning.
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