ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) World Cup Football: The child who was bathed by Lionel Messi 19 years ago, Lamine Yamal, competes in the final

ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) The final of the 2026 World Cup will be played on Sunday, July 19, at the New Jersey Stadium in New York, where the teams of Argentina and Spain will compete to become world champions.
An interesting story has come to light before the World Cup final between Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and young Spanish star Lamine Yamal. Nineteen years ago, during a charity show, Lionel Messi bathed a small child (young Spanish star Lamine) in a plastic tub. At that time, neither Argentine footballer Lionel Messi nor anyone else knew that this child Lamine Yamal would one day grow up and stand in front of Lionel Messi in the biggest competition of the World Cup final. This incident dates back to 2007 when the 20-year-old Messi participated in a photo shoot for a UNICEF charity calendar. The campaign was organized in collaboration with the Spanish newspaper ‘Diario Sport’, in which Barcelona players were included for photos with local families. At the same time, Messi met a baby, whom Messi picked up, bathed and took pictures of, but at that time no one knew that this child would become a big name in football in the future, that name is Lamine Yamal, the best player in Spain.

For many years, Lionel Messi, photos of the little Spanish Lamine remained out of the public eye. However, in 2024, when Yamal’s father shared these old photos on social media, they quickly went viral around the world. Fans were surprised to see that the child in Messi’s lap, Lamine Yamal, has now become a rising star for Barcelona and the Spanish team. Lamine Yamal has set several records in football at a young age. Due to his excellent dribbling, ability to understand the game and making the best decisions under pressure, he has become one of the most important players of the new generation of Spain. His performance in the World Cup has also impressed the world and today he is considered one of the future stars of football. The world of football is waiting for a final that is historic in many respects. On one side is Messi, who wants to add another World Cup trophy to his career, while on the other side is Yamal, who is looking to make his mark in the world’s biggest football competition at the beginning of his rise. This competition will not only be between two players but also between two generations of football. One player who ruled the world for almost two decades, and the other a young star who is considered the hope of a new football world. A simple charity photo shoot in Barcelona nineteen years ago has become part of the story of the World Cup final today. The child Messi once carried in his arms will now face him on the world’s biggest field.
The winning team of the final will also be awarded American-style championship rings for the first time, which are considered an important part of the traditions of various professional sports in America,

FIFA has announced that the winner of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be awarded special championship rings for the first time along with the traditional trophy and gold medals. This will be the first time in the history of any FIFA tournament that the winning team will be awarded such an honor. 026 rings will be made, which are being produced in this number for the World Cup 2026. Of these, 30 rings will be reserved for the winning team, while the remaining 1,996 rings will be sold as officially licensed products to fans around the world so that they can also keep a souvenir of this historic tournament. Each ring will be unique and will be numbered. One side of the ring will be made with the image of the FIFA World Cup trophy, while the other side will be made according to the identity of the winning team. Each ring will be made according to the hand of the relevant person and will be accompanied by a certificate. According to FIFA, the captain and head coach of the winning team will be given temporary commemorative rings immediately after the final. Later, all 30 rings reserved for the winning team will be individually made to fit each player and the relevant person, after which they will be officially presented at a separate ceremony.

Championship rings are awarded to successful teams in several major sports leagues in the United States, such as American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey and Major League Soccer. FIFA says that this tradition is being made part of world football for the first time so that the winning team can also be given a new and unique souvenir.
FIFA has not yet said what the price of the rings sold to fans will be, but it has made it clear that the winning team will also be given a trophy and gold medals, as is customary.