2024-07-11 14:06:16
Nearly two decades ago, a photograph taken by Joan Monfort captured a moment that, unwittingly, would become as famous today: it featured none other than Lionel Messi and rising football star Lamine Yamal.
Yamal, then a baby of just a few months, was photographed alongside the already promising Messi. This image, intended for a charity calendar, gained meaning years later when the identity of the child was revealed, who is today considered a promising player in world football.
“We made the calendar with the help of UNICEF. So UNICEF held a draw in the Roca Fonda neighbourhood of Mataró, where Lamine’s family lived. They entered the draw to have their photo taken at Camp Nou with a Barça player. And they won.”Monfort explained.
The interaction between the football star and the baby was not immediate. “Messi is a very introverted guy, it’s embarrassing,” the photographer commented on the challenges the Barcelona legend faced when posing with Yamal.
However, the importance of the charitable initiative outweighed any obstacles, resulting in a photograph that, many years later, would arouse nostalgia and admiration among fans around the world.
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Years later, the promise that Yamal represented in that photograph is beginning to become a reality.
Today, Lamine Yamal is no ordinary player, but one of the most important players of his generation. At just 16 years old, he has already begun to write his name in important competitions such as the Champions League and Euro 2024.
In fact, it’s arguably just a matter of time before Lamine Yamal, like Lionel Messi himself did in his time, takes home his first Ballon d’Or at a very young age.
Cubans Around the World Editorial Staff