Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal square off in the World Cup final on Sunday in New Jersey as Argentina bid to retain their crown against Spain - it's a generational storyline that defies all logic

An infant Yamal was photographed alongside the man he succeeded as Barcelona’s star in 2007

In 2007, at a UNICEF charity event, Messi bathed five‑month‑old Lamine Yamal in the Camp Nou dressing room. Nineteen years later they meet in the 2026 World Cup final: Spain v…