A destiny set in motion 19 years ago with a photograph of a young soccer superstar and a baby in a bathtub came to a heartwarming conclusion in the FIFA World Cup final on July 19.

The baby in the photo, Lamine Yamal, now 19, led Spain to a dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina and the player, his childhood idol, 39-year-old Lionel Messi. 

The mysterious link between the two stars was symbolized by a single photo that went viral before the match: a 20-year-old Messi in 2007, gently bathing a laughing, 5-month-old infant in a small, blue, plastic tub.

The photo was from a calendar shoot organized by Messi’s then-club, Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona, in partnership with UNICEF and a local newspaper.

That baby was Yamal, whose mother had won a local lottery in their working-class, immigrant neighborhood of Rocafonda to participate.

Yamal’s career path traced the course followed by Messi, starting in his childhood at FC Barcelona’s famed youth academy.

He shattered a club record by making his first-team debut at just 15 years and 9 months old, and eventually inherited the iconic number 10 jersey Messi once wore, earning him the title “Messi’s successor.”

His signature playing style—a left-footed attacker who cuts in from the right with light-footed dribbling—is also strikingly similar.

Yamal has said in past interviews that he modeled his game after his idol, who also praised him as well. 

“He is a world-class player at 19,” Messi said of Yamal two days before the final. “He has the chance to achieve something historic.”

Commenting on the resurfaced photo, Messi reflected on their shared journey. “It’s unbelievable, but that’s life. He was a baby, and now here we are, competing for the World Cup.”

With Messi departing Europe for North America’s MLS in 2023—the same year Yamal debuted for Barcelona—the two stars had never faced each other on a professional pitch.

That all changed in the final on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

After the final whistle ended Argentina’s dream of a World Cup championship repeat, Yamal sought out his idol amid the on-field celebrations.

Messi, who was possibly playing in his final World Cup, was sitting dejectedly on the turf.

As the younger man drew near, the Argentine legend rose to his feet.

The quiet embrace between the two men, a generation apart, served as a poignant bookend to a story that began in a bathtub 19 years ago.