Spain-Portugal Final Is Bigger Than Just Me vs Yamal – Ronaldo
Spain-Portugal Final Is Bigger Than Just Me vs Yamal – Ronaldo
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo admitted he belongs to “another generation” compared to Spain’s rising star Lamine Yamal, but emphasized that Sunday’s Nations League final is about much more than a clash between the two.
The showdown in Munich has been billed as a face-off between the 40-year-old football icon and 17-year-old Yamal, widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in the sport.
Ronaldo scored the winner to send Portugal past Germany into the final and Yamal was named man-of-the-match after bagging a brace in Spain’s wild 5-4 semi-final win over France.
Ronaldo however said the focus on the two individuals was overblown, calling Spain “maybe the best national team in the world”.
“There are different generations, one is coming in and another is exiting the stage. If you want to see me as another generation, then that’s OK.
“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, which is a normal thing, but it’s one team versus another team.”
“You’ve been talking about Lamine a lot and you’re right to do so because he’s very good,” Ronaldo told journalists, adding “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.”
Portugal last beat their Iberian neighbours in a competitive fixture in 21 years ago at Euro 2024, a match which Ronaldo started.
Like Yamal, Ronaldo burst onto the scene at a young age.
Aged just 18, Ronaldo impressed so much for boyhood side Sporting in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in a friendly in Lisbon that the English club decided to buy him, bringing him to Old Trafford less than a week later.
Much like a young Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal has continued to dazzle since his breakthrough, capping off a remarkable season with a league and cup double for Barcelona, following his Euro 2024 triumph in Germany last summer.
The Portuguese legend urged the media to ease the pressure on the 17-year-old, pointing out that the talented winger — whom he affectionately described as “the kid with the funny hair” — is only “three years older than my son.”
“He’s been doing incredibly well,” Ronaldo said. “But I ask that you allow him to grow at his own pace, without piling on pressure. For the sake of football, we need to let him develop naturally and enjoy the gift he has.”
Both nations have previously lifted the Nations League trophy — Portugal claimed the inaugural title in 2019, while Spain are the reigning champions from 2023.
