Lionel Messi encouraged Lamine Yamal “to go his own way” in the immediate aftermath of Spain‘s win over Argentina in the World Cup final.
Yamal, 19, was seen hugging Messi, 39, on the pitch after the final whistle in Sunday’s title game in New York before the two exchanged some words.
When asked what eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and former Barcelona captain Messi had said to him, Yamal revealed: “He told me to keep going my way and that the future belongs to our generation. Those words mean as much to me as the gold medal around my neck.”
Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, had an outstanding tournament.
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He finished with eight goals and fours assists while playing in all eight of Argentina’s World Cup games in North America.
For Yamal, the Argentina captain is “the best in the history.”
“He’s someone I’ve always admired,” the Barcelona star said of Messi. “At the end of the match, I showed him my respect.”
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Messi and Yamal go way back.
While at Barcelona, a then-20-year-old Messi took part in a photo shoot for UNICEF and Barça calendar where the Argentina was captured giving the 5-month-old future star Yamal a bath.
The Argentinian had praised Yamal. who inherited Messi’s iconic Barcelona No. 10 shirt last season, before the 2026 World Cup final.
“He’s a tremendous player … a global star,” Messi said. “He’s 19 years old and has his whole career ahead of him.”
