The foreground of Messi and baby Lamine Yamal photo

Back in the day, Joan Monfort felt that Lionel Messi, featured in a heartwarming pose with a baby for a charitable calendar, was bound for success in the world of football.

Little did he know that the young boy in the photo, Lamine Yamal, would also be part of the equation, forming an unexpected and heart-warming connection with Messi.

A baby featured in viral photos is Lamine Yamal, a 16-year-old Spanish youngster already being compared to the greats due to his remarkable promise.

At the current tournament in Germany, he made history by becoming the youngest player in the European Championship.

Notably, he also holds the record for being the youngest to have played for Spain.

The resurfacing photos of Lionel Messi holding the baby Lamine Yamal, now a record-breaking footballer, have caught people's attention.

The father of Lamine Yamal originally posted the photo on Instagram last week, and it has received over 90,000 likes since then.

The image shows Messi and Lamine's mother bathing the five-month-old baby.

During the autumn of 2007, Monfort, a 56-year-old freelance photographer for the Associated Press and other publications, conducted a photo shoot in the visitors' locker room at Barcelona's Camp Nou.

The particular shoot featured Lamine Yamal, who was only a few months old. Barcelona players participated in a heartwarming event, joining children and their families for a calendar photoshoot.

The initiative was part of an annual charity drive organized by the local newspaper Diario Sport in collaboration with Unicef.

Monfort took charge of the shoots, and coincidentally, Messi was paired with Lamine Yamal's family.

In one of the photos, Messi is joined by his mother, who hails from Equatorial Guinea, and her baby, Lamine Yamal.

Monfort stated that the calendar was created in collaboration with Unicef.

Unicef organized the raffle in the Roca Fonda neighborhood in Mataró, where Lamine's family resides.

They entered the raffle, hoping to capture a moment at the iconic Camp Nou alongside a player from the renowned Barcelona team.

Their joy knew no bounds when they won the raffle, a moment of pure happiness and excitement for the family.

Recalling the assignment, he admitted that it was far from easy. The main challenge arose from Messi's uncertainty about interacting with the baby, who was placed in a plastic tub for the shoot.

"Messi is known for his reserved nature and shyness," Monfort stated. A surprising turn of events awaited him as he stepped out of the locker room - an unexpected sight greeted him: a plastic tub filled with water, cradling a baby.

The situation proved to be quite complex. At first, Messi was utterly clueless about properly holding him, which was a surprising sight for everyone present.

At the time, Messi was just 20 years old and already recognised as a promising talent. However, it would be a few more years before he established himself as the standout player of his generation, both for Barcelona and Argentina.

In a similar fashion to Messi, Lamine Yamal has successfully emerged from Barcelona's prestigious La Masia youth academy.

Unaware of the person's identity in the 2007 photos, Monfort, aged 56, received a message from a friend alerting him that they were now gaining popularity online.

With a career spanning since 1991, this sports photographer has captured countless moments following Barcelona across the globe.

However, he admits that the excitement surrounding his latest photos is unparalleled. "Being connected to something that has generated such a buzz is truly exhilarating," he expressed. "Honestly, it's quite a pleasant sensation,"