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By Mihar Dias July 2026
There was a time when the football world melted at the sight of a young boy being bathed by a smiling Argentine superstar. It was one of those photographs that seemed destined for history, although nobody realised it then. The baby would grow up to become Spain's teenage sensation. The footballer would become arguably the greatest player the game has ever seen.
Now, thanks to the mischievous imagination of social media, the roles have been hilariously reversed.
The latest viral reel shows the Spanish wonderkid standing over a crestfallen Lionel Messi, gently shampooing his hair as the Argentine sits in a bathtub after Spain's World Cup triumph. The caption simply reads: “It's my turn.”
Cruel? Absolutely.
Funny? Undeniably.
Football has always had a wicked sense of humour.
Only in football can yesterday's baby become tomorrow's executioner. Two decades ago Messi was the young magician holding an infant. Twenty years later, the internet imagines that infant returning the favour—not with a trophy presentation or a respectful handshake, but with shampoo and soap bubbles.
The internet, after all, has no concept of sportsmanship.
Poor Messi. He has spent almost twenty years making defenders look like they were wearing roller skates. Yet the meme-makers have reduced him to a man patiently enduring a post-match hair wash.
Perhaps that's the modern equivalent of passing the torch.
The beauty of the reel lies not in its realism but in its absurdity. Messi's expression is priceless—a mixture of resignation, disbelief and the look every father wears when his children decide to "help" wash his hair.
The young Spaniard, meanwhile, appears to have embraced his new profession as football's official barber and bath attendant.
One can almost imagine him saying, “Relax, Leo. No tears. Tilt your head back.”
The World Cup has ended, but the comedy league never closes.
Social media possesses a unique talent for rewriting history faster than FIFA can update its rankings. Before the confetti has even been swept off the pitch, editors of the internet are busy creating alternate universes where football legends become punchlines.
The reel also reminds us how brutally short football careers really are. One generation spends years climbing Everest, only to discover another generation has arrived carrying better climbing equipment.
Messi himself once dethroned heroes who seemed immortal. He inherited the crown from legends before him, just as every great player eventually does.
Now another prodigy has arrived, and the football carousel spins once more.
The greatest compliment to Messi is that even in defeat he remains central to the story. Nobody makes memes about anonymous midfielders or forgotten substitutes. The jokes are reserved for giants.
Besides, one suspects Messi himself would smile.
A man who has won virtually every trophy imaginable, inspired millions, and written enough football history to fill libraries is unlikely to lose sleep over an imaginary shampoo session.
And somewhere in Spain, the teenage champion probably has no idea that millions are laughing at a fictional bathtub scene rather than debating his goals, assists or tactical brilliance.
That is football in 2026.
Yesterday's baby.
Today's champion.
Tomorrow's meme.
And somewhere in cyberspace, the bathtub remains permanently full, waiting patiently for the next king of football to discover that fame is temporary—but internet humour is forever.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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