Cristiano Ronaldo spoke with the media on Saturday and during his press conference he discussed Lamine Yamal, with whom he will be confronted for the first time during the UEFA Nations League final on Sunday between Spain and Portugal.
According to Diario, Ronaldo gave his opinion about Lamine Yamal, while also giving a warning to those who have high expectations for the 17-year-old winger in Barcelona.
“Lamine Yamal is doing very well, he benefits fully from his talent. Let the child grow now and does not practice too much pressure on him. Let him be and let him grow well, take the pressure away from him. He has no shortage of talent.”
Ronaldo, who was praised by the Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon prior to the final of the UEFA Nations League, also laughed comparisons between himself and Lamine Yamal, who, according to him, should be compared with players in his own generation.
“It has always been Cristiano against this or that, I am used to it. It is different generations, one starts and the other ends. They have to compare Lamine with Vitinha, which is closer (with his generation). But no problem, I have been left with the criticism. In reality it is the one of the other selection. The best in the world.”
Lamine Yamal is considered one of the front runners for the Ballon d'Or from 2025, but according to Ronaldo the teenager should not win the prize, he thinks it should go to a Paris Saint-Germain player.
“The individual prizes have lost some consensus; I can't say anything about who should win.