"Taking advantage of his talent" - Cristiano Ronaldo makes feelings clear about Lamine Yamal ahead of Nations League final
Cristiano Ronaldo has heaped praise on Lamine Yamal ahead of Portugal's showdown against Spain in the UEFA Nations League final. He also urged the fans not to put too much pressure on the youngster as he continues his development.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored in Portugal's 2-1 win over Germany in the UEFA Nations League semifinals. Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, scored a brace in Spain's 5-4 victory over France in the last-four to set up the highly anticipated clash on Sunday, June 8.
Speaking of Yamal ahead of the game, Ronaldo said (via Fabrizio Romano):
"Lamine Yamal is doing very well, taking advantage of his talent. Let the kid grow. Don't put too much pressure on him. Let him be and grow well, take the pressure off. He has no shortage of talent."
Ronaldo spoke highly of the teenager earlier this year during an interaction with Rio Ferdinand. He saw huge potential in the teenager and hoped that injuries would not derail the career. He said (via ESPN):
"He's got a huge potential. I see a lot of talent. But let's see during his journey what's going to happen. But I think he'll make it. He will be the best player of this new generation. He needs luck because he is very young. I hope he doesn't have any problems [injuries]. He is in a context that helps him a lot. Spain's national team is really good."
Lamine Yamal has admitted that he is looking forward to facing Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch in the UEFA Nations League final.
UEFA Nations League final is not Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lamine Yamal, insists Portugal star
João Neves has insisted that he does not look at the UEFA Nations League as a clash between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal.
The midfielder also praised the La Roja squad and insisted that they were as strong as the Portuguese side. He said in Friday's news conference (via ESPN):
"I don't look at the game like that [Cristiano Ronaldo vs Yamal]. I look at it as Portugal against Spain. It's not just Yamal in the Spanish team, they're very strong collectively. And so are we. It's not Cristiano, it's the national team..."
