The midfielder added, “Hopefully we’re going to see a very bright final with those two protagonists at their best, playing and giving all the fans a great spectacle.”

Meanwhile, the photographer who snapped the pic, Joan Monfort, can’t help but feel like he scored a golden goal by capturing moment.

“I have never been a believer or thought that anything was destined to occur,” he told the Associated Press in an interview published July 17, “but I am beginning to have my doubts. This is beyond all reasonable explanations.”

As he put it, “And now this has culminated with the final between Messi and Yamal. It is better than any film script.”

Messi and Yamal meet once more when the 2026 World Cup final takes place on July 19.

Though Messi and Yamal’s lore runs deep at the 2026 World Cup, they aren’t the only stars who took North America by storm during the tournament. Keep reading to see more notable athletes who competed…