Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has downplayed the hype with Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal ahead of Sunday’s Nations League final.
The match has been framed as a generational duel between the 40-year-old five-time Ballon d’Or winner and 17-year-old Yamal, hailed as the brightest young talent in world football.
Ronaldo led Portugal into the final with a late winner against Germany, while Yamal earned man-of-the-match honours after scoring twice in Spain’s thrilling 5-4 semi-final victory over France.
But speaking to journalists ahead of the clash, Ronaldo insisted the focus should not be solely on the two individuals.
“There are different generations; one is coming in, and another is exiting the stage. If you want to see me as another generation, that’s OK,” said Ronaldo.
“But when you talk about a clash between Cristiano and someone else, that’s not how it works. The media always try to hype things up; that’s normal, but this is one team versus another team.”
Ronaldo acknowledged Yamal’s talent but praised Spain’s collective strength. “You’ve been talking about Lamine a lot, and you’re right to do so because he’s very good.
But I’d like to talk about the team. They’ve got Nico Williams, great midfielders like Pedri, and their coach Luis de la Fuente, is very good, very strong, very disciplined. Spain may be the best national team in the world right now.”
The two stars share similar origins — both breaking onto the world stage as teenagers. Ronaldo’s career skyrocketed at 18 after a dazzling performance for Sporting CP against Manchester United, which earned him a move to Old Trafford. Yamal, meanwhile, has helped Barcelona win a domestic double and was a key part of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning squad — all before turning 18.
Ronaldo urged the media to refrain from placing excessive pressure on the young player. “The kid has been performing very well, but my request is to allow him to grow. Don’t put too much pressure on him. For the good of football, we need to let him develop in his own way and enjoy” his talent.”
