Lamine Yamal’s father: ‘Maybe my son was the one who blessed Messi’

Lamine Yamal’s father has described his son as “blessed by God” and suggested the Barcelona winger may have been the one to “give the blessing” to Lionel Messi in a now-famous photograph taken in 2007, long before either could have imagined Yamal becoming a World Cup winner with Spain.

The 19-year-old Barcelona forward is enjoying what his father calls days of “happiness and fulfilment” after helping Spain lift the 2026 World Cup, achieving one of his brightest dreams before his 20th birthday.

Yamal’s route through the tournament was far from straightforward. He joined up with the Spain squad while still recovering from a hamstring injury in his left thigh, adding an extra layer of difficulty to his breakthrough on the game’s biggest stage.

Father’s pride and belief

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, in comments reported by Spanish newspaper Sport, Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, said he had believed in his son’s talent from the day he was born.

“Since the moment he was born, I knew he would be a star,” he said. “Any father feels that, and every father wishes for his son to be the best.”

Nasraoui explained that one of his central goals in life has been to see his son content, both in football and away from the pitch.

“One of my main aims in life is to see Lamine happy, on the pitch and off it,” he said.

He went on to praise his son not only as a footballer, but as a person.

“He is the best at everything, not only in football,” Nasraoui added. “He is the best in love, as a human being, in every respect. The fundamental reason for that is that he has God’s blessing, and that is enormously important and something that must be appreciated.”

Roots in Rocafonda

Nasraoui also spoke about the family’s background in Rocafonda, a neighbourhood in Mataro, in the province of Barcelona, which he described with clear affection and pride.

“This neighbourhood is the best in the world and in Spain,” he said. “Because we are all equal and we all have the same love for everyone. Long live Rocafonda 304, it is a symbol and a reference point for everyone.”

The area has often been mentioned as part of Yamal’s story, illustrating the humble surroundings from which one of European football’s brightest young talents has emerged.

The photo with Messi

Nasraoui also revisited the now-iconic photograph of a very young Lamine Yamal with Lionel Messi, taken in 2007 as part of a Sport newspaper campaign in collaboration with UNICEF.

The image, which has resurfaced frequently as Yamal’s reputation has grown, shows him as a small child alongside Messi during the Argentine’s early years as a Barcelona star.

“Maybe it was Lamine who gave the blessing to Messi,” Nasraoui said. “That photo was just a beautiful coincidence in life.”

The picture has since taken on symbolic meaning for many Barcelona and Spain supporters, linking one of the greatest players in history with one of the most exciting new talents to emerge from La Masia.

Yamal’s father, however, prefers to frame it as a twist of fate – a chance encounter that preceded his son’s rapid rise from Rocafonda to Barcelona and on to World Cup glory with Spain.