Clash of Generations—20-year-old Messi washes 5-month-old Lamine, meet again in the final 20 years later

Brothers, this final has a story that could be called the most romantic in football history—Messi and Lamine.

In 2007, 20-year-old Messi gave the 5-month-old Lamine a bath, and that photo has circulated for nearly two decades. Now, 39-year-old Messi and 19-year-old Lamine will go head-to-head on the stage of the World Cup final. This will be the first time the two have faced each other in an official match.

If both start, it will be the first time in World Cup final history that the age gap between the two sides’ starting players exceeds 20 years. Messi symbolizes the past and the present, while Lamine represents the future. The two also are the players in this tournament with the most successful dribbling breakthroughs—Messi’s 25 dribbles are the all-time high for players aged 30 and above in a single World Cup; Lamine’s 22 dribbles tie with 2018’s Mbappé for the most by a teen player.

Spain’s head coach De la Fuente said: “Players like Messi really give us a headache.” Ahead of the match, Lamine also publicly said he’s looking forward to exchanging jerseys with his idol, Messi.

Two generations in the same bathtub will now go head-to-head on the World Cup final stage 20 years later. This is not only a battle for the championship, but a ceremony of power handover.

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