07/15/2026
Back in 2007, Lionel Messi was only 20 years old and just beginning his journey to becoming one of football's greatest players. That year, he took part in a special charity calendar organized by FC Barcelona's foundation and UNICEF. During the photo shoot, Messi was asked to help bathe a baby in a small blue tub filled with water and soap bubbles.
The pictures were taken in a studio with a bright red background by freelance photographer Joan Monfort for the Catalan newspaper Sport. In the photos, Messi carefully held the smiling baby while the child's mother, Sheila Ebana, stood beside them to help. At the time, it was simply a sweet moment captured for a good cause. No one imagined the baby would one day become a football star too.
For many years, the baby's identity remained a mystery. Even photographer Joan Monfort had no idea who the child was after the shoot ended. The photos were almost forgotten as time passed.
Everything changed in 2024 when the pictures suddenly went viral around the world. Lamine Yamal's father shared one of the photos on Instagram with the caption, "The beginning of two legends." That was when fans discovered that the baby in Messi's arms was Lamine Yamal.
By then, Yamal had already become one of the brightest young talents in football and a rising star for Spain's national team. The photo amazed football fans because it connected two generations of incredible players in a way no one could have predicted.
What started as a simple charity photo shoot in 2007 became one of football's most unforgettable and heartwarming pictures years later.
