Yamal reveals heartfelt message to Messi after Spain’s World Cup triumph

Abdullateef Fowewe

Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal has opened up about the emotional moment he shared with Lionel Messi following Spain’s victory over Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final.

Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, the 19-year-old said he approached the Argentine legend on the pitch after the final whistle and simply thanked him.

“I went to Leo Messi and said: thank you,” Yamal recalled.

“I just thanked him a lot for everything he has done and how he’s the best. I’ve always believed he is the best.”

He stressed that the gesture was genuine rather than staged for the cameras.

“I always try to distance myself a little from things that seem beautiful for show. The moment came from within. I saw him there, so I went to thank him for what he did for football, it came spontaneously.”

The exchange took place at MetLife Stadium in the New York area after Spain defeated defending champions Argentina to claim the title.

The moment carried extra resonance because of the pair’s unusual shared history.

In 2007, a then-teenage Messi was photographed bathing a baby Yamal during a UNICEF charity photoshoot linked to Barcelona.

The picture remained largely private for years after Yamal asked his father not to publicize it, saying he wanted to forge his own path rather than be defined by early comparisons to the Argentine great.

Yamal, already a World Cup winner at 19 and a key figure for both Barcelona and Spain, has long cited Messi as the greatest player.

Their post-final embrace was widely viewed as a symbolic meeting of football’s recent past and its emerging future.