Hollywood megastar Timothee Chalamet tells Lamine Yamal to 'dream big' alongside iconic photo of Barcelona sensation with Lionel Messi as wonderkid dons 'Marty Supreme' jacket to promote new film

Yamal famously starred in an advertising campaign with Barcelona legend Messi when just a baby. That picture has resurfaced on countless occasions since, with it remarkable to think that that new arrival to the world is now following in the most illustrious of footsteps.

Having made his own way through the fabled La Masia academy system, making his senior debut at just 15 years of age, Yamal is now considered to be a suitable heir to Messi’s crown as the king of world football.

Yamal’s exploits have, just like Messi, attracted interest from across the globe. His level of celebrity already transcends his chosen profession, with the youngster much more than a football player. He boasts support in every corner of the planet.

That includes Hollywood, with famous faces in the United States fully aware of who Yamal is and what he is capable of. His story is an intriguing one and helps to showcase what can be achieved through a mixture of ability and hard work.

Chalamet - the star of blockbuster movies such as ‘Wonka’ and ‘Dune’, who is dating Kim Kardashian’s sister Kylie Jenner - is among those to have been taken in by Yamal’s remarkable rise to prominence.

He is, as an A-list actor, somebody that appreciates an inspirational true story. He is proving as much after returning to the big screen in ‘Marty Supreme’ - a tale loosely inspired by American table tennis player Marty Reisman and his pursuit of fame in 1950s New York.

Chalamet is driving interest in that production, which hits cinemas on December 25, with a global promotional tour. He has drafted in assistance from Barcelona talisman Yamal, with the 18-year-old seen sporting the viral ‘Marty Supreme’ jacket.

Chalamet has shared an image of Yamal in that merchandise alongside a “DREAM BIG” message. He has also made a point of including the aforementioned photo of Yamal with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi in an Instagram carousel.

The picture in question was taken back in 2007 as part of a photoshoot for UNICEF. Joan Monfort, a Barcelona-based freelance photographer for the Associated Press, took the snap - which took on a life of its own after being shared on social media by Yamal’s father Mounir Nasraoui alongside the tagline: “The beginning of two legends.”

Monfort has since said of capturing an iconic moment: “UNICEF did a raffle in the neighbourhood of Roca Fonda in Mataro where Lamine's family lived. They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barca player. And they won the raffle.

“He [Messi] didn't even know how to hold him at first. Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he's shy. 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 in it. It was complicated.

“It’s very exciting to be associated with something that has caused such a sensation. It’s been really surprising, all this. We take so many photos, so many images. Some of them will remain.

“For Lamine to grow up to be a footballer, and to have this photo, I’m just really happy it happened. It’s especially nice in today’s football, when so much is to do with money and power.”

Yamal has sought to distance himself from the Messi comparisons that he continues to generate, with there a desire on his part to forge a unique legacy of his own. He is already a La Liga and European Championship title winner with Barcelona and Spain, with the expectation being that he will continue to “dream big” in the not too distant future when landing a first Ballon d’Or.