UNICEF Confirms 2007 Messi-Yamal Photo Is Real Ahead of 2026 World Cup Final

2 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 19

UNICEF said the 2007 image of 20-year-old Lionel Messi holding six-month-old Lamine Yamal is authentic, rejecting social-media claims that it was AI-generated.
The photo came from a UNICEF charity calendar with Barcelona and Diari Sport, where Yamal's family won a raffle and the baby was randomly paired with Messi for the shoot.
Joan Monfort took the pictures at Camp Nou, and the images stayed largely obscure until 2024, when Yamal's father reposted one on Instagram with the caption "The beginning of two legends."
The photo has surged again before the 2026 World Cup final, where Messi and Yamal are set to face each other after a chance meeting nearly 20 years ago.