Lamine Yamal to meet Lionel Messi on the pitch as Argentina set date with Spain | OneFootball

With Argentina winning the Copa America on Sunday night against Colombia, and Spain victorious over England, the two will meet next year. It also means a reunion for Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal just under 18 years on from their famous photo.

During Euro 2024, a photo of a young Lionel Messi holding a baby Lamine Yamal went viral, with the Barcelona legend bathing the now Barcelona winger for a photo shoot. With the return of La Finalissima competition, a showdown between the champions of the Copa America and the Euros, the pair will for the first time take to the pitch together. Sport say that while no date has been set for the clash, it is likely to be held in the United States in July or August of 2025, a year out from the World Cup there.

Many have struggled to avoid comparisons between the two, with Lamine Yamal bursting onto the scene at a young age, and possessing a magical left foot. Certainly even if those comparisons are premature, there is little doubt that Lamine Yamal is the most talented to come through La Masia since Messi.