Speaking to the media ahead of the Nations League final between Portugal and Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo praised Barcelona’s young talent, Lamine Yamal.
At just 17 years old, Yamal has quickly established himself as one of the best players in the world today, and on Sunday he will have the chance to face one of the greatest legends of all time in the Nations League final.
Ronaldo had high praise for the Barcelona and Spain winger, stating that Yamal is certainly not lacking in talent.
“Lamine Yamal is doing very well, he’s making the most of his talent. Let the boy grow,” said the Real Madrid legend, according to Fabrizio Romano.
“Don’t put too much pressure on him. Let him develop properly, remove the pressure. He’s not lacking talent,” added the Portugal captain.
This isn’t the first time Ronaldo has spoken highly of Lamine Yamal. He had previously named the teenager as a potential future Ballon d’Or winner.
Yamal shined for Spain in the semifinal against France, scoring two goals in a dramatic 5–4 win.
Now, he will aim to deliver a similar performance in the final against Portugal and lead La Roja to the Nations League title — a feat that could further boost his Ballon d’Or candidacy this year.
As for Portugal, they reached the final by defeating Germany 2–1 in the semifinals, with Ronaldo scoring the match-winning goal.
