Everyone has seen it by now. That grainier-than-expected photo of a long-haired, 20-year-old Lionel Messi smiling awkwardly while bathing a tiny baby in a blue plastic tub. For years, it was just a forgotten snapshot in a family album in Mataró. Then, 2024 happened. Suddenly, the world realized that the gurgling six-month-old in the water was Lamine Yamal.
The coincidence is honestly terrifying. What are the odds? Out of all the babies in Barcelona, the one randomly selected for a charity raffle ends up being the kid who inherits Messi’s legendary number 10 jersey eighteen years later. It feels like a movie script that a producer would reject for being too "on the nose." But it’s real. And as we sit here in 2026, with Yamal firmly established as the cornerstone of Hansi Flick's Barcelona, the Lamine Yamal with Messi connection has shifted from a viral curiosity to a serious torch-passing moment.
The Baptism: What Really Happened in 2007
The photo shoot took place in the autumn of 2007 at the Camp Nou. It wasn't some grand meeting of icons. It was a chaotic afternoon organized by the local newspaper Diario Sport and UNICEF for a charity calendar. Joan Monfort, the photographer who took the shot, remembers it being "complicated."
Messi was only 20. He was introverted, painfully shy, and had absolutely no idea how to handle a baby. Yamal’s mother, Sheila Ebana, had to help the young Argentine interact with her son. They were just two people in a locker room with a plastic tub. Monfort had to "sweat blood" to get the shot because Messi was so reserved. Looking back, it’s wild to think that neither the photographer nor the future GOAT knew that the baby in that tub would be the one to break Pelé’s record as the youngest goalscorer in a major international tournament.
Comparing the Stats: Is the Hype Real?
People love to compare them. It’s unavoidable. But when you actually look at the numbers, things get interesting. By January 2026, Lamine Yamal reached 150 senior appearances for club and country. He did this at just 18 years old. When Messi hit that same 150-game milestone back in 2008, he was already 21.
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Here is how they actually stack up at that 150-game mark:
- Lamine Yamal: 40 goals, 57 assists (97 total goal contributions).
- Lionel Messi: 58 goals, 31 assists (89 total goal contributions).
Yamal actually had more total goal involvements than Messi did at the same stage. He is a more prolific creator early on, while Messi was always the more natural finisher. Yamal’s 2024-25 season was a statistical monster, racking up 18 goals and 21 assists as Barcelona reclaimed the La Liga title. He’s currently averaging a goal or assist every 112.8 minutes. Messi, at that same developmental stage, was producing one every 114.7 minutes. It's essentially a dead heat.
The Number 10 Burden
For the 2025-26 season, Barcelona did the unthinkable. They gave Yamal the number 10. Following Ansu Fati’s struggles with the shirt, there was a lot of hesitation. Is it too much pressure? Deco, the club’s sporting director, pointed out a key difference recently. Messi entered a Barcelona side that was already "won"—a veteran team with stars like Ronaldinho and Eto'o. He could grow in the shadows.
Yamal doesn't have that luxury. He is the project. He is the one the club is leaning on to solve their financial and sporting crises. When the number 10 jersey went on sale, the club reportedly sold 70,000 units in the first 48 hours. That’s roughly €10 million in revenue in two days. He isn't just replacing Messi's goals; he's replacing his economic impact.
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What Messi Actually Thinks
Messi isn't blind to what's happening. During an Adidas event in Germany, he was asked about his heir. He didn't hesitate. He called Yamal "the present" of football. Even after Ousmane Dembélé narrowly beat Yamal to the 2025 Ballon d'Or, Messi was quick to praise the teenager's growth.
"He is just 18, in the middle of a growth process," Messi said. There’s a mutual respect there, even if Yamal admits they haven't had a long, deep conversation yet. Yamal is smart about it, though. He told reporters last year that he doesn't want to be the "next Messi." He just wants to be Lamine Yamal. But when you’re left-footed, play on the right wing, and come through La Masia, the shadow is long.
Common Misconceptions
- "The photo was AI or Photoshop": Nope. Joan Monfort has the original negatives. It’s 100% authentic.
- "Messi mentored him as a kid": Not at all. They didn't see each other again for years. The 2007 meeting was a total fluke of a charity raffle.
- "Yamal is faster than Messi was": Actually, Yamal’s top speed has been clocked around 31.38 km/h. Messi, in his "La Pulga" days, was arguably more explosive over the first five yards, though Yamal's stride is longer due to his height.
The 2026 Outlook
Right now, Yamal is the favorite for the 2026 Ballon d'Or if Barcelona can make a deep run in the Champions League. He’s already a European Champion with Spain. He has the Kopa Trophy. He has the La Liga winner's medal. The only thing missing is that singular "best in the world" trophy that Messi won eight times.
If you're following his career, watch how he handles the physical demand. He’s played a massive amount of minutes for an 18-year-old—over 4,500 minutes last season alone. The biggest threat to the Lamine Yamal with Messi trajectory isn't talent; it’s burnout. Barcelona is being more careful now, often rotating him in less critical Copa del Rey matches, but when the big lights are on, he's always there.
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To truly understand Yamal’s rise, you have to stop looking for "the next Messi" and start appreciating a different kind of phenom. He's more of a playmaker than a pure dribbler-finisher, a hybrid that fits perfectly into the modern, high-pressing game.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Track the G/A Race: Keep an eye on Yamal's assist-to-goal ratio. He is currently on pace to break Messi’s career assist record if he maintains this trajectory for 12 more seasons.
- Watch the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: This will be the true test of whether he can lead Spain to global dominance the way Messi led Argentina in 2022.
- Monitor the Minutes: High-performance data suggests 18-year-olds are at peak injury risk when exceeding 3,500 minutes a year. Watch how Flick manages his workload in the final stretch of this season.
The "baptism" in the plastic tub might have been a coincidence, but everything Lamine Yamal has done since then has been pure, calculated intent. He isn't living in Messi's shadow anymore; he's just using the light Messi left behind to find his own way.