The remarkable Lionel Messi-Lamine Yamal connection
In a Nutshell
Joan Monfort photographed 20-year-old Lionel Messi with 3-month-old Lamine Yamal for a UNICEF calendar raffle in 2007. The images capture an improbable early link between two Barcelona stars now both on the verge of greatness. Monfort calls the coincidence a “one in 10 million” chance and says it has made him start believing in “soccer gods.”
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Joan Monfort was visited in his photography studio in the middle of Barcelona. He showed a series of images taken in October 2007 featuring 20-year-old Lionel Messi posing with a 3-month-old baby and the baby's mother. The family had won a raffle to appear alongside a Barcelona player in a UNICEF calendar. The chubby-cheeked baby in the photo is Lamine Yamal.
What are the odds that you have Lionel Messi on the verge of stardom with Lamine Yamal now on the verge of stardom?
Es como si ganaras la lotería, ¿no?
It's like winning the lottery. It's a one in 10 million chance.
Y no sé.
And I don't know. Can you imagine if I told you right now that there's a photo of Michael Jordan giving a bath to LeBron James?
Ah, LeBron James.
Monfort had no idea at the time that he was taking historic photos.
Do you believe in the soccer gods?
No creía, pero ahora
I didn't, but now I think I'm starting to believe in them a little bit.
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