Spain forward Lamine Yamal has revealed why he approached Lionel Messi on the pitch after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the 2026 World Cup final in New York.
Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in extra time to seal the title for Spain.
Messi, 39, finished the tournament with eight goals and two assists.
After the final whistle, Yamal went to Messi for a personal exchange, a gesture he later explained in an interview with The Guardian.
"I said thank you for everything you gave football. I don't do things to look nice for the photo; that came from inside," Yamal said.
The 19-year-old winger also addressed a viral childhood photograph of himself as a baby with Messi, explaining why the image stayed private for years.
"Because I told him not to," Yamal said.
He said he wanted to build his own identity early in his professional development before the photo was posted publicly.
"He put it on Facebook once and I told him to take it down. Comparisons were too easy, that was all people would talk about," Yamal said.
"I wanted to be Lamine; I didn't want to be Messi. I just wanted to get where I could get.
I asked him to wait. When I'm Lamine, do what you want," he added.
Yamal reiterated his appreciation for Messi while speaking to The Guardian.
"I went to see Leo Messi and I said: thank you. I thanked him a lot for everything he has done and because he is the best.
I have always thought he was the best," Yamal said.
He stressed that his words were a spontaneous reaction upon seeing the Argentine captain after the match.
"I always try to distance myself a little from things that only seem beautiful for the show. That moment came from the heart.
I saw him there, so I went to thank him for everything he has done for football. It came spontaneously," Yamal said.
Yamal Calls Messi the Best Player of the World Cup
In a separate interview on Universo Valdano with Jorge Valdano, Yamal assessed Messi's impact throughout the competition.
"For me, he was the best player of the World Cup for everything he is and everything he generated.
Nobody expected that a player at Leo's age, even if it was Leo, could do things at that level," Yamal said.
Despite lifting the trophy, Yamal admitted he felt unsatisfied with his own displays during the World Cup, citing high personal expectations despite drawing defensive pressure during matches.
"I didn't come out happy after winning the World Cup. The injury thing is true, but it has nothing to do with it.
If the World Cup happened again at another point, I'd feel the same way, even without the injury," Yamal said.
The teenager concluded his self-assessment by outlining his individual standard for performance regardless of tactical roles assigned to him on the pitch.
"I did a lot of things people didn't see.
For the coach, it's incredible to have a player who drags three defenders with him, but based on my performance, I know I could have done more," Yamal said.
