Spain starlet Lamine Yamal and Argentina legend Lionel Messi to be reunited at Finalissima 2025
Barcelona's past and present in Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will be reunited next year when they face off in the Finalissima.
Teenage starlet Yamal inspired Spain to Euro 2024 glory, where he provided an assist in the 2-1 victory over England in Berlin on Sunday.
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The 17-year-old was named as the Best Young Player of the tournament where he chipped in with one goal and four assists from seven games.
Messi meanwhile helped guide Argentina to defend their Copa America title - their third consecutive major tournament success.
That is despite the 37-year-old being reduced to tears after picking up an ankle injury during the 1-0 final win against Colombia at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Following Yamal and Messi's respective triumph, they will now meet in the 2025 edition of Finalissima, which pits the champions of Europe and South America against each other.
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Argentina are the reigning champions after beating Euro 2020 winners Italy at Wembley in 2022.
And the 2025 edition will see Messi and Yamal reunite with the latter being baptised by the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner as a baby in 2007.
The duo met at a photo shoot for a charity calendar, with Yamal's dad joking the meeting was destiny.
Mounir Nasraoui told Mundo Deportivo: "They are coincidences in life. Blessing from Leo to Lamine? Or from Lamine to Leo? Maybe it was Lamine who blessed Messi.
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"For me, my son is the best. Lamine is a special case."
Messi and Yamal would later meet again in 2019 when the youngster was in Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, where he was seen clutching a boot bag alongside his hero.
Watch the moment Spain lifted the trophy after beating England in the Euro 2024 final
Speaking prior to Spain and Argentina's respective finals, Yamal discussed his ambition for him to face his childhood idol on the pitch.
He remarked: "I hope Messi wins the Copa America and I win the Euros, so I can play against him in the Finalissima."
Spain's clash against Argentina next year will be just the second Finalissima after the one-off competition was relaunched in 2022.
Argentina's win over Italy was the first encounter between the European Championship and Copa America victors in 29 years.
France came out on top against Uruguay in 1985 when the natch was known as the European/South American Nations Cup.
And Argentina prevailed in 1993 when they beat Denmark.
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