Not just Lamine Yamal: Three more Spain stars' childhood photos with Lionel Messi go viral

The viral photograph of Lionel Messi holding baby Lamine Yamal has captured the football world's imagination ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, but Yamal is not the only Spain player to have shared a childhood moment with the Argentine legend.

Several old photographs featuring young Spanish stars alongside Messi have resurfaced on social media, adding another emotional layer to the highly anticipated clash between Argentina and Spain.

Among the players whose pictures have gone viral are Pedri, Gavi and Pau Cubarsí, and Dani Olmo all of whom met Messi during their childhood through Barcelona-related events or as young academy players. Years later, they have grown into key members of Spain's national team and are preparing to face their childhood idol on football's biggest stage.

The images have sparked widespread nostalgia among fans, symbolising the connection between Barcelona's golden era and its new generation of talent.

The collection of photographs has become one of the defining off-field stories before the World Cup final, highlighting Messi's lasting influence on a generation of Spanish footballers who once admired him from close quarters and now stand as his biggest challengers.