The viral photograph of Lionel Messi bathing baby Lamine Yamal has sparked widespread debate online, with many social media users dismissing it as artificial intelligence-generated or digitally manipulated.
But PUNCH Online on Saturday reported that the image is authentic, tracing its origins to a 2007 charity photo shoot organised by Barcelona’s foundation and Catalan newspaper SPORT.
Nearly two decades after the photograph was taken, Messi and Yamal are set to meet for the first time on the pitch when Argentina and Spain contest the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday.
The image, which resurfaced in 2024 and quickly went viral, shows a 19-year-old Messi bathing a three-month-old Yamal during a Barcelona Foundation and SPORT charity calendar photo shoot organised to raise funds for UNICEF.
Photographer Joan Monfort, who captured the image, said its significance has only grown over time.
