Topps is creating a trading card of what became a famous photo during the World Cup of Argentina's Lionel Messi holding Spain's Lamine Yamal, the company said Monday.
Messi, whom many consider soccer's greatest player, was photographed holding Yamal, then an infant and now a 19-year-old rising star. The two met in Sunday's final, with Yamal and Spain defeating Messi and Argentina 1-0.
That game was a potential changing of the guard with the 39-year-old Messi perhaps playing in his final World Cup.
Playing for Barcelona at the time of the initial meeting with Yamal, Messi took part in a fundraising drive for UNICEF and wound up holding the player who could be the future face of the sport. Yamal has followed in Messi's footsteps by becoming Barcelona's standout player.
From Google AI:
How They Met: UNICEF hosted a raffle in the Rocafonda neighborhood of Mataró, Spain. Lamine Yamal’s parents entered and won the chance to have their baby photographed with a Barcelona player. By complete coincidence, they were paired with an emerging, 20-year-old Messi. [1, 3] https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/messi-meets-lamine-yamal-story-behind-photo-everyones-talking-about
The Shoot: Freelance photographer Joan Monfort took the photos. He later recalled that Messi was incredibly introverted and shy at the time and initially did not know how to hold the baby or handle the plastic tub setup. [1, 2] https://www.nytimes.com/video/sports/soccer/100000011039551/messi-yamal-photo-photographer-world-cup.html