Topps turning iconic photo of Messi and baby Yamal into a trading card

Topps is honoring the 2026 World Cup by converting the famous photo of Argentina’s Lionel Messi holding Spain’s Lamine Yamal as a infant into a trading card, set to be released later this year. The photograph, captured during a UNICEF fundraising event in 2007, shows Lionel Messi gently cradling an infant Lamine Yamal. Yamal’s family had won a raffle, granting them the opportunity to have their son photographed with the then-rising Barcelona star. Fast forward nearly two decades, and Yamal is now a 19-year-old sensation at Barcelona, the same club where Messi became a legend, amassing 35 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles and seven Copa del Rey victories. "That photo is incredible,” Messi said ahead of the World Cup final. "I took a picture with him when he was a baby. The fact that we're both playing in the World Cup now is crazy." The announcement of the photo’s transformation into a trading card came shortly after the two stars faced off in the World Cup final, where Yamal played a pivotal role in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina. According to a post from Topps on X, the trading card will be a unique 1-of-1 collectible, randomly inserted into boxes of the upcoming Topps Stadium Club UCC set, set for release later this year. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.