Spain and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has revealed that photos of him as a baby with football legend Lionel Messi were deliberately kept private to avoid comparisons with the Argentine icon.
During a recent tournament, images of Messi bathing Yamal, alongside Yamal’s mother, surfaced and quickly went viral, captivating football fans worldwide. These photos, part of a charity calendar shoot from 2007, were disclosed by Lamine Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, on Instagram.
Yamal, who has provided three assists and scored a crucial goal in Spain’s 2-1 semi-final victory over France, explained the reason behind the secrecy. “Obviously, in the moment the photos were taken I wasn’t conscious of what was going on at that age,” Yamal told Jijantes. “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.”
The photos, taken by freelance photographer Joan Monfort for the Associated Press, were a result of a chance event when Yamal’s family won a raffle to have their picture taken with a Barça player at Camp Nou. Monfort recounted the fortunate event, saying, “They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barça player. And they won the raffle.”
This glimpse into Yamal’s early connection with Messi has intrigued fans and highlighted the young winger’s promising career, while also shedding light on the thoughtful decision by his family to protect him from undue pressure and comparisons.
