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'Saint' Lamine Yamal (20, Barcelona) revealed a conversation he had with 'Football Emperor' Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami).
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time at the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup final held on the 20th (Korean time) at New Jersey Stadium in New York, USA, securing the championship. With this victory, Spain lifted its second World Cup trophy for the first time since the 2010 South Africa tournament, 16 years later. Argentina, which aimed for back-to-back titles, had to settle for runner-up status.
Immediately after the match ended, a physical altercation occurred between players from both teams, prompting FIFA to launch an investigation. However, Lionel Messi of Argentina approached Spain's rising star Lamine Yamal, embraced him, and exchanged greetings.
According to global sports outlet ESPN on the 22nd, Yamal directly disclosed his conversation with Messi following the final. Yamal stated, "Messi told me, 'Keep walking your path. The future belongs to your generation.'" He added, "That advice holds as much precious meaning to me as the championship medal hanging around my neck."
He continued, "Messi is the greatest player in football history and someone I have always admired." He further remarked, "If someone had told me a few years ago that I would face Messi in a World Cup final and lift the trophy, I would have thought they were crazy."
This final attracted significant attention as a showdown between Messi, a legend of Spain's prestigious club Barcelona, and Yamal, the current star. Notably, a photo from 19 years ago resurfaced, showing 20-year-old Messi bathing 5-month-old Yamal during a 2007 UNICEF charity calendar shoot.
Currently playing for Barcelona while inheriting Messi's iconic number 10 jersey, Yamal reached the fourth position among the youngest World Cup champions at just 19 years and six days old with this tournament victory. Before the final, Messi had already praised Yamal as "one of the world's best players," offering encouragement to his successor.
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*This content was translated by AI.
