Topps immortalizes iconic Messi-Yamal photo on a 1-of-1 card

Some trading cards celebrate championships. Others commemorate record-breaking performances. Topps is taking a different approach, which is sure to both tug at fans' heartstrings and reward one lucky collector with a life-changing card.

Later this year, collectors will have a chance to chase one of the hobby's most unique modern cards when Topps includes a one-of-one card featuring the historic photograph of Lionel Messi bathing five-month-old Lamine Yamal in an upcoming Topps Stadium Club UEFA Club Competitions release. In smaller news, after taking the 2024-25 season off, Stadium Club will return with a massive chase.

The photo was taken nearly two decades ago during a UNICEF charity photo shoot—long before anyone realized they were looking at two future World Cup champions whose careers would eventually intersect on soccer's biggest stage in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.

A Random Meeting Nobody Could Have Predicted

The famous photograph almost never happened. In 2007, FC Barcelona players participated in a UNICEF charity calendar produced with Diario Sport. Families entered a community raffle for the chance to have their children photographed with a Barcelona player. Yamal's family won a spot, and by pure chance, their infant son was paired with a 20-year-old Messi, who was just beginning his rise to global superstardom.

The story has even taken on an additional family dimension. Yamal's younger brother, Keyne, has become a fan favorite during celebrations and public appearances, with supporters often commenting on both his close bond with Lamine and his resemblance to the future star as a young child.

Before They Became Legends

When Messi cradled baby Lamine Yamal during a UNICEF charity photo shoot in 2007, neither had won a World Cup, and Yamal hadn't even taken his first steps. Nearly two decades later, after both became world champions and global icons, Topps is preserving that moment on cardboard, reminding collectors that sometimes history is only recognizable in hindsight.

Today's best reads

• Lionel Messi Wearing FIFA 'Legacy' Patch in World Cup Final for Eventual Topps Card
• 2026 Topps Chrome Baseball Will Feature Back-to-Back Dual Gold Logoman Autograph Relics
• Top 5 Most Iconic and Valuable 1993 Topps Baseball Cards
• 2026 Topps Star Wars Chrome Galaxy Chases and Sketch Cards
• 2026 Topps Flagship Football: First Look at Chase Cards

This article was originally published on www.si.com/collectibles as Topps Immortalizes Iconic Messi-Yamal Photo on a 1-of-1 Card.