Lionel Messi called it 'insane' that he is about to face Lamine Yamal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Nearly twenty years ago, a charity photo shoot captured a 20-year-old Messi bathing infant Yamal.
Now, the Argentine legend and the Spanish teenager will clash for the trophy. 'That picture with Lamine, now we are facing in a final,' Messi told Tom Brady at Fanatics Fest. 'It's just insane.'
Yamal, 19, now stars for FC Barcelona, the club Messi loves. While Messi admires the young forward, he is focused on stopping him. 'He has a chance to achieve something historic-we're going to try to make sure that doesn't happen this time,' Messi stated.
Both players are chasing history in Sunday's match at New York New Jersey Stadium. Messi could win back-to-back World Cups as captain. Yamal could become the second-youngest player to start and win a final.
The match kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.