Spain’s World Cup title celebration produced one of the most moving moments of the World Cup final. Beyond the championship medal, Lamine Yamal confessed that the words Lionel Messi shared with him at the end of the match are priceless.
After the final whistle of Sunday’s match in New York, 19-year-old Yamal shared a warm embrace with Messi on the field. The two exchanged a few words, which the young Spanish soccer player later decided to share.
“He told me to keep following my path and that the future belongs to our generation. Those words mean just as much to me as the gold medal I’m wearing around my neck,” Yamal said, recalling the moment with the Argentine captain.
Messi capped off the tournament with an outstanding performance, playing in all eight of Argentina’s matches, in which he scored eight goals and recorded four assists, cementing an exceptional showing at the World Cup.
For the Barcelona forward, Messi’s recognition holds special significance, as he has never hidden his admiration for the Argentine.
"He’s someone I’ve always admired. At the end of the match, I showed him my respect," said Yamal, who also described Messi as "the best of all time."
The story between the two, however, began long before they faced off in a World Cup final. When Messi was 20 years old and playing for Barcelona, he took part in a photo shoot for a calendar produced by UNICEF and the Catalan club. In those photos, he was immortalized holding and bathing a baby who was just five months old: Lamine Yamal.
Years later, fate brought their paths together again. Yamal inherited the iconic number 10 jersey at Barcelona last season, and before the 2026 World Cup final, Messi had already spoken highly of the young Spaniard.
“He’s a tremendous player… a global star. He’s 19 years old and has his whole career ahead of him,” the Argentine had noted.
Now, following the final, the Spanish world champion says that Messi’s advice will hold a special place in his career, one as valuable as the medal he won with Spain.
