UEFA European Championship 2024: Old photos of Messi bathing Yamal break the internet

Lamine Yamal – the wunderkind of Spain – has been in the headlines for all good reasons. In their semifinal match with France, the 16-year-old winger scored a goal and became the youngest to score a goal in the UEFA European Championship 2024. Spain defeated France 2-1 and is all geared up to meet England in the final. However, Yamal has been hitting headlines for many reasons. 

The real story behind Leonel Messi and Yamal’s photos

Recently, photographs of six-month-old Lamine Yamal resurfaced on the internet and the netizens could not keep calm. The photos show none other than Leonel Messi bathing infant Yamal. His father, Mounir Nasraoui, posted one of those photos and wrote, “The beginning of two legends.”

It turns out that the photos were taken for a charity calendar by a freelance photographer Joan Monfort. It was 17 years ago when Barcelona players tied up for the photoshoot in collaboration with a local newspaper Diario Sport and UNICEF for the annual charity calendar. Yamal’s family won a lottery and got selected for the photoshoot. Incidentally, Leo Messi, who was 20 years old then, got to pose with some-month-old Yamal. His mother Sheila Ebana is also seen in the photograph. 

Yamal could not play full-time due to Germany’s labour law

In other news, Germany’s strict labour law has been preventing Lamine Yamal from playing after 11 pm in Germany. According to the law, anyone below 18 years of age cannot work in Germany beyond 8 pm. For athletes, that time is extended to 11 pm. If Yamal plays after 11 pm, the Spanish Football Association will be fined 30,000 euros. Yamal will turn 17 on July 13, some hours before the grand finale of the 17th UEFA European Championship 2024.