Almost two decades after a charity photo session brought them together, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are set to meet in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026, turning one of the most unlikely pictures of football into reality.At the time, photographer Joan Monfort didn’t think much of the captured images. They showed a 20-year-old Messi helping to bathe a Yamal boy in a small plastic tub during a charity calendar shoot. Almost 20 years later, the two meet when defending champions Argentina take on European champions Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final at New York’s New Jersey Stadium.The photograph went viral before the final, many calling it one of the most remarkable coincidences in football.“I have never been a believer or thought that something was destined to happen, but I began to have my doubts. This is beyond all reasonable explanations,” Monfort told The Associated Press from his home in Barcelona on Friday.Messi admitted that he is equally surprised by how the events unfolded.“This photo with Lamine, now we are facing a final after a photo was taken when I was a child,” Messi told seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady at Fanatics Fest on Friday. “It’s just crazy.”The photo was taken by freelance photographer Joan Monfort during the promotional charity shoot when Messi was 20 years old and Yamal was still a child. Now, the two will be on opposite sides in the biggest match in world football.Messi also spoke of his admiration for Yamal, who now plays for FC Barcelona, the same club where the Argentine spent more than two decades between 2000 and 2021.“Lamine is really amazing,” said Messi. “I follow him a lot because he plays for a club that I like a lot. He has the chance to achieve something historic – we will try to make sure that this does not happen this time.”History is at stake for both players in Sunday’s final.Messi could become the first player to captain a team back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles Yamal, meanwhile, could become the second-youngest player to start and win a World Cup final.For both, the only obstacle is the player on the other side.“We will try to put on a good match, but I hope that he and his team will not put on a good one,” Messi said.Argentina booked their place in the final after defeating England in the semi-finals, while Spain defeated France to set up Sunday’s title clash.