Lamine Yamal Opens Up on Emotional Exchange With Lionel Messi After World Cup Victory

In a poignant moment following Spain's World Cup final victory over Argentina, Lionel Messi shared some words of encouragement with rising star Lamine Yamal, telling him to "go his own way."

The two players, aged 39 and 19 respectively, embraced on the pitch in New York after the final whistle on Sunday.

When later asked about the exchange, Lamine Yamal revealed the advice he received from the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.

"He told me to keep going my way and that the future belongs to our generation," Yamal said as quoted by ESPN Sports. "Those words mean as much to me as the gold medal around my neck."

Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, had a remarkable tournament, scoring eight goals and providing four assists across all eight of his team's matches in North America.

Yamal, who now wears Lionel Messi's iconic No. 10 jersey at Barcelona, expressed his deep admiration for the Argentine captain, calling him "the best in history."

"He's someone I've always admired," the Spanish forward stated. "At the end of the match, I showed him my respect."

The connection between the two players dates back to Lamine Yamal's infancy. During his time at Barcelona, a 20-year-old Messi was famously photographed bathing a 5-month-old Yamal for a UNICEF and club calendar photoshoot.

Even before the 2026 final, Lionel Messi had praised the young talent. "He's a tremendous player... a global star," Messi commented. "He's 19 years old and has his whole career ahead of him."

Meanwhile, Spain were crowned FIFA World Cup 2026 champions after securing a hard-fought 1–0 extra-time victory over defending champions Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Despite European champions Spain dominating possession and controlling the tempo, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez produced 12 saves to keep the match goalless through regulation time.

The balance tipped late in regulation when Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off following a second yellow card.

Substitute Ferran Torres finally broke the stalemate in the 106th minute, volleying home a nod-down from Nico Williams to seal Spain's second world title.