Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will meet in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final at MetLife Stadium, pairing the tournament’s second-oldest finalist with its third-youngest.
Argentina captain Messi, 39, is seeking a second consecutive World Cup title. Spain and Barcelona winger Yamal turned 19 one day before his team defeated France 2-0 in the semifinal.
Only Italy goalkeeper Dino Zoff, who was 40 in the 1982 final, has appeared in the title match at an older age than Messi.
Yamal will be 19 years and six days old when Spain face the defending champions. Only Brazil’s Pelé and Italy’s Giuseppe Bergomi have played in a World Cup final at a younger age.
Pelé was 17 when he scored twice against Sweden in the 1958 final. Bergomi was 18 when Italy defeated West Germany in 1982.
Read: Lionel Messi Calls Lamine Yamal Baby Photo ‘Crazy’
Eight players have won the World Cup as teenagers. Pelé and France forward Kylian Mbappé remain the only players to score in a final before turning 20.
Messi called Yamal a “global icon” and said Argentina would try to stop him from making history. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente described the teenager as a “genius” during the tournament.
Yamal entered the competition carrying an injury and began Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde on the bench. He has started every game since Spain’s 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia.
The final also links the pair through a UNICEF calendar photograph taken nearly two decades ago, showing a 20-year-old Messi bathing a five-month-old Yamal during a charity photoshoot.
