JAKARTA - Lionel Messi encouraged Lamine Yamal to go his own way immediately after Spain's victory over Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final.
Yamal was seen hugging Messi on the pitch after the final whistle in the New York final before the two exchanged words.
When asked what the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner said to him, Yamal immediately leaked it.
"He told me to keep going my way. The future belongs to our generation. Those words mean as much to me as a gold medal around my neck," Yamal said.
Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, had an outstanding tournament. He scored eight goals and four assists while playing in all eight matches of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
For Yamal, the Argentine captain is the best in history.
"He is someone I have always admired. At the end of the game, I showed him my respect," the Barcelona star said of Messi.
Messi and Yamal have known each other for a long time. When he was still at Barcelona, Messi, who was then 20 years old, took part in a photoshoot for the UNICEF and Blaugrana calendar where the Argentine player was photographed bathing Yamal, a future star who was then five months old.
The Argentine praised Yamal, who inherited Messi's iconic Barcelona number 10 last season, ahead of the 2026 World Cup final.
"He's an incredible player, a world star. He's 19 and has his whole career ahead of him," Messi said of Yamal.
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