The 27-year-old footballer from Terrassa, Dani Olmo, will face his idol Leo Messi in the 2026 World Cup final. An anecdote from his childhood, when he took a photo with the Argentine star reluctantly, has resurfaced ahead of the match.
Every child's dream who plays football is, one day, to share the pitch with their idol. For Spanish national team midfielder Dani Olmo, born in Terrassa (Barcelona) in 1998, that moment will arrive this Sunday in the World Cup final in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The opponent: Argentina led by Leo Messi, the footballer Olmo hasn't seen in two decades.
The story dates back to 2006. Olmo was eight years old and was focused on a local match in Castelldefels. His father, Miguel, approached him and said that Messi was in the stands. “Go and take a photo with him,” he insisted. But little Dani preferred to keep playing. Eventually, he reluctantly agreed. “You can tell by my face in the photo that I don't look very happy. I remember not having opened my mouth, I didn't say a single word to Leo. I waited for the click and returned to my ball, as if I was the one doing Leo a favour,” Olmo confessed in a recent interview with the Argentine newspaper La Nación.
A photo that is now a treasure
That snapshot, which Olmo has framed at home, is now one of his most cherished memories. “I'm happy that my father forced me to take that photo,” he admits. However, since that day, fate has not allowed them to cross paths again. “Never, and when I say never, I mean never, have I run into Leo again. Never. And it's something that annoys me,” confesses the RB Leipzig player.
Olmo has faced Cristiano Ronaldo several times, but the opportunity to play against Messi has never arisen. When the Argentine was at PSG, they played two Champions League matches, but in one Olmo was injured and in the other Messi didn't travel. “It hasn't happened yet,” he laments.
The dream of playing against Messi… and perhaps with him
For the Terrassan, the final is not just a match for the world title. It is the opportunity to reunite with his idol and, in passing, apologise for that reluctant photo. “If we play the final against Argentina, we will mark Leo as if he were 20 years old, just wait and see. You can never give Leo a metre,” warns Olmo, who will be one of the offensive weapons for coach Luis de la Fuente.
In the interview, journalist Cristian Grosso posed the possibility that, in the future, Messi could return to FC Barcelona and be his teammate again. “Uffff! God, that would be very nice, that would be a dream and now, I speak as a fan, as a Barça supporter, not as a footballer. Having Leo in his last year of career in Barcelona would be a dream. But those things are complicated, right? As a Barça fan, everyone knows we have a very special affection for Leo, and I don't know what he thinks, but he owes us nothing. Everything he has given to the fans is incredible and unrepeatable,” Olmo replied.
A pride for Terrassa
Dani Olmo, who came through the ranks at FC Barcelona and later triumphed at Dinamo Zagreb and RB Leipzig, is one of the most prominent ambassadors of Terrassa in the world of football. His participation in the World Cup final marks a milestone for the city, which passionately follows the steps of its local hero. On Sunday, when he steps onto the pitch at the New Jersey stadium, he will not only represent Spain but also his municipality.
The match, which will take place at 21:00 Spanish peninsular time, will pit two of the tournament's most in-form teams against each other. Spain is seeking its second World Cup title after 2010, while Argentina defends the title won in Qatar 2022. For Olmo, it will be the moment to close a circle that began with a reluctant photo 20 years ago in Castelldefels.
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