Perhaps the most famous photo of Lamine Yamal is one in which a few-month-old baby is seen in the arms of Lionel Messi; a photo that went viral again on social media last year. Now, that same baby has broken an important World Cup record held by the Argentine legend.

Lamine Yamal, who has been playing for the main Barcelona team since the age of 15 and is considered by many to be Messi's heir, scored his first goal in the 2026 World Cup during Spain's match against Saudi Arabia. He achieved this record at the age of 18 years and 343 days; 14 days earlier than Messi, who scored his first World Cup goal at 18 years and 357 days.

The story of that famous photo dates back to 2007; when Messi held a six-month-old baby named Lamine Yamal for a charity calendar for Barcelona and UNICEF. The Yamal family did not publish this photo for years until during Euro 2024, after his stunning performance, his father shared it with the phrase “The Beginning of Two Legends.”

Since then, Yamal's progress has not stopped. He played a significant role in Barcelona's two consecutive La Liga championships, inherited the team's number 10 jersey, and is now considered one of Spain's most important players in the World Cup.

After Spain's unexpected draw against Cape Verde, Yamal started in the match against Saudi Arabia and, by scoring in his team's 4-0 victory, brought Spain back on track for qualification. Before the match, he faced the chant “Where is Yamal?” from Saudi fans, but after the game, by posting a picture of his goal celebration on Instagram, he had only one message: “I am here.”

Of course, Yamal still has a long way to go to reach Messi's achievements. Messi ultimately lifted the World Cup at the age of 35; however, many believe that the current generation of Spain, with Yamal's brilliance, has a chance to reach the biggest trophy in world football much sooner.

Source: Gulf Times