Messi and Yamal to meet in World Cup final two decades after first photo together
via The Namibian2 min read
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are set to face each other in the World Cup final, marking a significant moment nearly 20 years after they first posed for a photo together. In 2007, a 20-year-old Messi and then five-month-old Yamal were photographed for a Unicef calendar after Yamal's family won a raffle. Photographer Joan Monfort recalled that Yamal, who was always smiling, "stole Messi鈥檚 heart." Messi, now 39, and Yamal, 19, will share football's biggest stage. Messi, who will likely be playing in his last World Cup tournament, expressed his surprise at the full-circle moment, stating, "The fact that we鈥檙e both playing in the World Cup now is crazy." He acknowledged his soft spot for Yamal due to their shared Barcelona connection but affirmed his commitment to winning the final against Spain. Both Messi and Yamal are now Unicef Goodwill Ambassadors. Yamal has spoken about the importance of football in his life, providing structure, belonging, and hope for the future, and the need for children to have safe places to play.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
England secured third place at the 2026 World Cup by defeating France 6-4 in a high-scoring match. Both teams, having faced semi-final exits, made significant lineup changes for the game in Miami. England took an early lead with goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa, followed by two goals from Bukayo Saka, making the score 4-0 by halftime. France's coach Didier Deschamps described the first-half performance as "catastrophic." In the second half, France mounted a comeback with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice, becoming the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi. Bradley Barcola also scored for France. England extended their lead further when Bukayo Saka completed his hat-trick from a penalty. Ousmane Dembele added a fourth goal for France, but Jude Bellingham scored England's sixth goal, becoming the first England player to score seven goals in a World Cup. This third-place finish marks England's best World Cup result since 1966. France, who were runners-up in the previous tournament, were eliminated by Spain in the semi-finals. The World Cup final will feature Argentina against Spain.
England secured a 31-24 victory over Argentina in the Nations Championship, with No 8 Ben Earl scoring two tries. The match, described as ill-disciplined, saw England claim their second consecutive win in the competition. Argentina, on the other hand, suffered their second defeat in three games. The game concluded dramatically when a potential equalizing conversion attempt by Argentina's fly-half Tomas Albornoz was disallowed after a late try by Bautista Delguy was chalked off following a review. England received four yellow cards during the game, and the build-up to the fixture included off-field tensions, such as England's back-rower Henry Pollock taunting Argentine fans. England captain Jamie George had previously stated his team would leave the field if subjected to racist abuse. The match also featured Argentina wearing a remake of their 1986 football kit, famously worn when they beat England in the World Cup quarter-finals. England led 19-3 at halftime, but Argentina mounted a comeback, narrowing the gap to two points at one stage. However, England regained control and sealed the win, despite ending the game with 13 men after two more yellow cards were issued in the final minutes.
Must ReadArgentina is one game away from becoming the third team to successfully defend the World Cup, with European champions Spain as their opponent. Historically, only Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962 have achieved this feat. Italy retained their title by beating Hungary 4-2 in the 1938 final, four years after defeating Czechoslovakia. Brazil, with Garrincha playing a key role, beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 in 1962, following their 5-2 victory over Sweden in 1958, despite Pele's injury. Other teams that reached the final in consecutive tournaments but failed to win include Argentina in 1990, who lost to West Germany after winning in 1986, and Brazil in 1998, who were defeated by France after triumphing in 1994. Most recently, France came close to retaining their title in 2022, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick, but ultimately lost to Argentina on penalties.