Lamine Yamal has revealed the heartfelt message he gave to Messi when the pair embraced after Spain’s World Cup final victory over Argentina.
Yamal said he thanked the Argentine maestro for everything he had given football.
Spain secured a 1-0 win in the final through Ferran Torres’s extra-time goal, with Yamal lifting the trophy at the age of 19. Messi was playing at the World Cup for the last time. He has now retired from international football, at the age of 39.
Yamal said his words to Messi were not intended for the cameras as the two met on the pitch after the final whistle.
“I said thank you for everything you gave football,” he said. “I don’t do things to look nice for the photo – that came from inside.”
Yamal also discussed the famous photograph of him as a baby being held by Messi during a Barcelona charity event. The image, taken when Yamal was an infant, was released publicly by his father only two years ago and quickly became a source of comparisons between the two Barcelona forwards.
Yamal said he had previously asked his father not to publish the photograph because he wanted to establish his own identity rather than be measured against Messi.
“He put it on Facebook once and I told him to take it down,” Yamal said. “Comparisons were too easy – that was all people would talk about. I wanted to be Lamine; I didn’t want to be Messi.
“I just wanted to get where I could get. I asked him to wait. When I’m Lamine, do what you want.”
