Lamine Yamal Reveals Why He Kept Childhood Photos with Messi Hidden_
Spain winger Lamine Yamal has opened up about the viral photos of him as a baby with Lionel Messi, revealing that he kept them private to avoid unfair comparisons with the football legend.
The adorable photos, taken in 2007, show a six-month-old Yamal being cradled by Messi alongside his mother, Sheila Ebana.
The images were part of a charity calendar organized by Diario Sport and UNICEF to support a good cause.
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Yamal explained that he didn’t want to be defined by his connection to Messi early in his career, instead wanting to forge his own path in the football world.
Yamal said:
“Obviously, in the moment the photos were taken I wasn’t conscious of what was going on at that age.”
“My dad had the photos saved and they never came out, basically because we didn’t want the comparisons with Messi.
“No one would be annoyed to be compared with the best to ever play the game, but it’s something that could work against you because you’re never going to be like him.”
Yamal make his debut for Barça’s first team at the age of 15 in 2023, he made over 50 appearances last season, quickly earning international recognition with Spain,
and became the youngest player to ever play and score in a European Championship at this summer’s tournament in Germany.
Former Barça coach Xavi Hernández agreed that the inevitable comparisons were not useful, but even he admitted that Yamal,
who turns 17 on Saturday, has “flashes of Messi.”
A cropped version of one of the photos was first posted on Instagram last week by Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, along with the caption: “The beginning of two legends.”
Asked on Thursday if Messi blessed his son, Mounir said:
“Maybe Lamine blessed Leo. My son is the best at everything, not just as a footballer but also a person.”
Lamine Yamal has been a standout player at the Euros, scoring a stunning equalizer in Spain’s semifinal win over France and notching a tournament-high three assists, move Spain to the final against England on Sunday.”
