'That photo is crazy': Messi wishes Yamal well - just not in the final
Lionel Messi has described the prospect of facing Lamine Yamal in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final as "crazy", reflecting on the iconic photograph of the Barcelona prodigy as a baby in his arms before praising the Spain winger as one of the world's best players.
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,".I took a picture of him when he was a baby, and now facing him in a World Cup final is crazy, but he's one of the best in the world right now . I wish him the best of luck because what's good for him is good for Barcelona too, and well, we'll try to play a good game so he doesn't have his best, although it's difficult, we'll try. He, like Spain, has some great players and a great style of play. We have our own strengths too.
Messi, who has closely followed Yamal's meteoric rise at Barcelona, believes the teenager is destined for greatness but hopes Argentina can deny him a historic triumph in the final.
"Lamine is a fantastic player, whom I followed closely because he plays for a club I love and always wish the best for. He's a global icon at just 19 years old, with his whole career ahead of him. He has a great opportunity to achieve something historic, and we'll try our best to make sure it's not this time . I wish him all the best; honestly, that photo is crazy because it's life," he said.
The Argentina captain added that the famous image has become even more surreal now that the pair are set to meet on football's biggest stage.
Messi also reflected on his own upbringing in football and the mindset he has carried throughout his career.
" We grew up playing football with a lot of passion , always eager to play, have fun and enjoy ourselves, wherever we were. Whether it was at school, on the street or on a team, since we all started in a neighborhood team when we were little ," the Flea began.
Speaking about handling the pressure of playing in a World Cup final, Messi said: "I think we never think about the pressure, we take it as something natural, to play and have a good time. We are a competitive group, we like to win but it is a team sport, the opponent plays and you can't always win. As a kid I learned that you lose more than you win and that made me grow as a person and as a player," said Messi regarding the concerns in the lead-up to a match of that magnitude.
For his part, Lionel Scaloni shared his thoughts on the event and revealed that he only attended alongside Lionel Messi and Emiliano "Dibu" Martinez because Luis de la Fuente was going to be there.
"I'm not going to tell you what I said to him because it was a surreal situation. I went because he was going to be there, that's why I went. I told Luis 'I'm here for you' and other things that I'd rather you didn't know. We saw each other after a long time at an event; you know I appreciate him ," explained Scaloni.
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