How a Viral Photo of Lionel Messi and Baby Lamine Yamal Became a Collector's Artifact

Sports trading card manufacturer Topps has officially announced the release of a commemorative card featuring the iconic 2007 photograph. The image, which went viral worldwide, captures a 20-year-old Lionel Messi holding baby Lamine Yamal, reports Hypebeast.

The photo gained global fame as an incredible and almost prophetic crossing of paths between the Argentine legend and the rising star of Spanish football.

At the time of the shoot, Lionel Messi was a 20-year-old prodigy at Barcelona, just embarking on his journey to becoming the greatest player of all time. Lamine Yamal was only a few months old in the picture.

The photo was taken for a charity calendar organized by the Catalan newspaper Diario Sport in collaboration with UNICEF. The photoshoot took place inside the Camp Nou locker room, and Yamal's family ended up there after winning a local raffle in the Roca Fonda neighborhood.

For nearly two decades, the photograph remained a forgotten local snap—until Yamal made his incredible breakthrough on the global football stage, transforming into one of the planet's top wonderkids.