Spain's Lamine Yamal reveals truth behind viral photo with Lionel Messi | Read Inside

Spain's teen prodigy Lamine Yamal has revealed that photos of him as a 6-month-old baby with Argentina star Lionel Messi were hidden intentionally.

Yamal's photo as a baby from 2007 with Messi went viral on social media after the 16-year-old's sensational goal against France in the Euro 2024 semifinal on July 9. Messi was seen bathing baby Yamal in the photo which was shot for a charity calendar.

"Obviously, in the moment the photos were taken I wasn't conscious of what was going on at that age," Yamal said on social media channel Jijantes on Friday (Jul 12).

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Also Read:‘Canada was treated like second-class citizens at Copa America,’ claims coach Jesse Marsch

"My dad had the photos saved and they never came out, basically because we didn't want the comparisons with Messi."

"No one would be annoyed to be compared with the best to ever play the game, but it's something that could work against you because you're never going to be like him."

With the goal against Les Blues in the semis, Yamal is now the youngest ever goal scorer in the Euro championship at 16 years and 362 days.

He overtook the record ofSwiss player Johan Vonlanthen, who had also scored against France in Euro 2004, aged 18 years 141 days.

Earlier in the tournament, Yamal also became the youngest player ever to play in the European Championship. He played his first game against Croatia in group stage match aged 16 years 338 days.

The previous youngest player in the Euro championship was Poland midfielder Kacper Kozłowski who played aged 17 years 246 days.

Yamal's father Mounir Nasraoui also shared his son's photo from the shoot with Messi on social media last week with a caption which read: "The beginning of two legends."

Spain, the three-time Euro championship winners, will now face England in the final on Sunday (Jul 14) in Berlin, Germany.