The NFL star asked the Argentine number 10 about the iconic photo with Lamine Yamal. The "prophetic" image shows Messi bathing the then Spanish baby, who would soon become Barcelona and Spain's main hope.
Amid chants of "Visca, Barca!", Messi praised the Catalan club where he is the ultimate idol and highlighted the importance of Yamal, whom he called one of the best players in the world.
Amid the chants of "Visca, Barca!" that echoed through the Javits Center, Messi praised the Catalan club where he is their greatest idol and pointed out the importance of the young opponent, whom he called one of the best players of today.
"Barca is a wonderful club, which I follow closely because I love it and always wish it the best," said Messi.
"He (Lamine) is now one of the most important figures in world football and, at just 19 years old, has his whole career ahead of him. He has a great opportunity to achieve something historic on Sunday, and we will do our best to make sure that doesn't happen this time. But in the end, I just want to wish him the best."
Commenting on the famous photograph, the Argentine star smiled at the weight of destiny.
"I really enjoyed seeing that photo again; it's amazing how life works. I took a picture with him when he was just a baby and now we're both competing in a World Cup," he said.
"Honestly, it seems crazy, but he's already one of the best in the world, no doubt. I wish him luck, especially because what's good for him is also good for Barcelona."
Messi finished by looking ahead to the tactical battle against the in-form Spanish team, adopting a tone of absolute respect and putting the favorites tag on the rival.
"We'll try to play a good game so that he (Lamine) can't perform at his best. We know it will be tough. Both he and Spain are very strong. They have fantastic players and play incredible football," concluded the Argentine captain.
The big final between Spain and Argentina takes place on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, promising to bring the football world to a standstill.
