Putri Anggraini
Two months after Spain defeated Argentina to claim the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lamine Yamal has disclosed the words he exchanged with Lionel Messi in the aftermath of the final. The teenage Spanish forward shared a heartfelt embrace with the Argentine legend on the pitch following Spain's 1-0 extra-time victory on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In an interview published Tuesday in British media, Yamal revealed that he thanked Messi for his contributions to the sport.
"I said thank you for everything you gave football," Yamal told The Guardian newspaper. "I don't do things to look nice for the photo. That came from inside." The moment between the two players, captured in photographs that quickly circulated worldwide, was widely interpreted as a symbolic passing of the torch between one of football's greatest icons and a young talent poised to carry the sport forward.
The final itself was decided by Ferran Torres, whose extra-time goal secured Spain's second World Cup title. Argentina, the defending champions from 2022, had been seeking their third consecutive major tournament triumph after winning the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup in Qatar. Instead, the loss marked the end of an era for the South American side, with the match confirmed as Messi's final World Cup appearance at age 39.
Much of the pre-match buildup focused on the contrast between Messi, nearing the end of his illustrious career, and Yamal, a 19-year-old prodigy widely regarded as his heir apparent. The narrative gained additional momentum when a photograph of a young Messi bathing an infant Yamal resurfaced on social media, drawing massive attention. Many initially believed the image was AI-generated, but it was later confirmed to be authentic, dating back to 2007.
The photo originated from a UNICEF fundraising event held at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium. A 20-year-old Messi, then at the outset of his career with the Catalan club, posed with Yamal, who was just five months old and accompanied by his mother, Sheila Ebana. The image remained largely unknown until Yamal's father shared it publicly two years ago, prompting questions about why it had not been released earlier.
"Because I told him not to," Yamal explained. "He put it on Facebook once, and I told him to take it down." The young forward said he wanted to avoid constant comparisons to Messi, which he felt would overshadow his own development. "Comparisons were too easy. That was all people would talk about. I wanted to be Lamine. I didn't want to be Messi. I just wanted to get where I could get. I asked him to wait," he said, adding, "When I'm Lamine, do what you want."
Both players emerged from Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy, a institution celebrated for producing some of football's finest talents. Messi arrived from his native Argentina at age 13, while Yamal joined the youth setup at seven. Their shared background added another layer of significance to their encounter on football's biggest stage, reinforcing the sense of continuity between generations at the same club.
While Yamal still has a considerable distance to travel before matching Messi's career achievements, he has already secured the sport's most coveted prizes. At just 19, he has won both the World Cup and the European Championship with Spain, a feat that places him among an elite group of players. Messi, by contrast, claimed his sole World Cup title in 2022, though he has also won two Copa America trophies with Argentina.
At club level, both players have enjoyed domestic success in Spain's La Liga. Messi collected ten league titles during his 17 years at Barcelona, a period that many consider the most dominant individual run in the club's history. Yamal has won three consecutive La Liga crowns since breaking into the senior team in 2023, establishing himself as a central figure in Barcelona's current project.
The warm exchange between Yamal and Messi after the final resonated beyond the immediate result, capturing a moment of mutual respect that transcended the outcome of the match. For Messi, the embrace offered a gracious conclusion to a World Cup career that has spanned nearly two decades and redefined expectations for what a footballer can achieve. For Yamal, it represented both a tribute to his idol and a declaration of his own ambitions.
Yamal's decision to reveal the details of their conversation reflects his growing comfort in the spotlight and his willingness to speak candidly about his relationship with the player to whom he is most often compared. His remarks also underscore a mature determination to forge his own identity, even as he acknowledges the profound influence Messi has had on his career and on the sport as a whole.
As Spain celebrates its second World Cup triumph and Argentina contemplates a future without its most decorated player, the image of Yamal and Messi embracing serves as a lasting symbol of transition. The final in New Jersey may be remembered not only for Torres's decisive goal but also for the moment when one generation of footballing greatness acknowledged another, offering gratitude and passing the torch in the same breath.
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