And they won the raffle,” Monfort said. It wasn’t an easy assignment, he recalled, mainly because Messi wasn’t sure how to interact with baby Lamine, who was in a plastic tub for the shoot.

And they won the raffle,” Monfort said. It wasn’t an easy assignment, he recalled, mainly because Messi wasn’t sure how to interact with baby Lamine, who was in a plastic tub for the shoot.

BARCELONA, Spain — When Joan Monfort took photos of Lionel Messi with a baby for a charity calendar almost 17 years ago, he knew the long-haired young man would make it big in soccer. He could ...

"Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he's shy," Monfort said. "He was coming out of the locker room and suddenly he finds himself in another locker room with a plastic tub full of water and a baby ...

The baby in the photos was none other than young Spanish star Lamine Yamal who, at 16, is showing such promise for Messi's former Barcelona club that he's already being compared to the greats himself.