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Spain star Lamine Yamal has revealed what Argentine legend Lionel Messi said to him after the 2026 World Cup final that saw La Roja crowned champions at the expense of tango dancers.
The final was unique in that it brought together two different generations of football stars, as Messi appeared in Argentina’s side and Yamal led a new generation in Spain’s national team, in a clash that received much public and media attention around the world.
Yamal played the game when he was nineteen, at a time when the 39-year-old Messi was probably playing his last stop with Argentina, so the young player came face-to-face with his idol on the world’s biggest stage in football.
After the final whistle and the Copa del Rey, Yamal was eager to go to Messi to express his admiration and respect for the Argentine legend in an emotional scene that caught the attention of fans and the media.
Yamal revealed the conversation between them after the game, explaining that Messi sent him a special message that will remain etched in his memory throughout his football career.
“Barcelona” star said. According to Marca newspaper“He told me to continue on my way and that the future belongs to our generation.”
Speaking about the value of Messi’s words to him, Yamal added: “These words are worth the gold medal I wear around my neck.”
The moment takes on particular significance given Messi and Yamal’s iconic relationship, as the two stars were linked in a famous photograph dating back many years in which Messi appeared with Yamal as a child, before they met again years later, but this time on the pitch and at the World Cup final.
While Messi left the game having lost the title, Yamal was celebrating the biggest achievement of his career so far, in a scene that seemed to epitomize the passing of the torch from a legend who had dominated world football for many years to a young star expected to lead a new generation.
Despite the difference in feelings between the two stars after the game, Messi’s words were a clear message of support for Yamal, who sees the Argentina captain as his most famous source of inspiration.
