Messi, whom many consider soccer's greatest player, was photographed holding Yamal, then an infant and now a 19-year-old rising star. The two met in Sunday's final, with Yamal and Spain defeating Messi and Argentina 1-0.
That game was a potential changing of the guard with the 39-year-old Messi perhaps playing in his final World Cup.
Playing for Barcelona at the time of the initial meeting with Yamal, Messi took part in a fundraising drive for UNICEF and wound up holding the player who could be the future face of the sport. Yamal has followed in Messi's footsteps by becoming Barcelona's standout player.
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