World Cup 2026: Lamine Yamal reveals what Messi told him after the final

19.07.26 AET World Cup

Spain

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Argentina

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Lamine Yamal, the young sensation of the Spanish national team, reflected on what Argentine legend Lionel Messi told him at the end of the 2026 World Cup final, which was won by La Roja.

Spain triumphed over Argentina (1-0) at MetLife Stadium thanks to a goal by Ferran Torres in the 106th minute of extra time.

At the final whistle, Yamal immediately made his way to Lionel Messi. The two players embraced warmly amid the applause of the fans before exchanging a few words in a deeply emotional moment.

Yamal: "Messi's words are worth as much as my gold medal"

In comments relayed by the British daily Metro, Lamine Yamal said: "Lionel Messi is the greatest player in football history. He has always been my idol. That’s why I wanted to greet him after the match and show him all my respect."

The young Spaniard then revealed the content of their exchange: "He told me to keep working and that the future belongs to our generation. For me, those words are as valuable as the gold medal I wear. They mean just as much."

Yamal concluded emotionally: "If someone had told me a few years ago that I would lift the World Cup after facing Lionel Messi in the final, I would have thought they were crazy."

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Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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