After facing Lamine Yamal for the first time during Sunday night’s Nations League final, in which Portugal defeated Spain on penalties at the Allianz Arena, Cristiano Ronaldo has made his assessment of the player. A youthful Portuguese team seized the lead twice before winning a well-earned victory owing to Alvaro Morata’s missed penalty in the shootout, despite La Roja being the favorites heading into the match after winning the European Championship the previous year.
The “master vs apprentice” storyline between Ronaldo and Yamal was one of the primary topics of conversation leading up to the final. Even though the 40-year-old ended up having a greater impact on the game and scored his team’s second goal, he was still quite complimentary of the Barcelona teenager, who found it difficult to take a break from his opposite number Nuno Mendes.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Verdict on Lamine Yamal
He was full of praise for the ‘phenomenon’
Ronaldo urged the media to be lenient with Yamal, reiterating his belief that the La Masia product is destined for a long and prosperous career, despite the fact that many were quick to criticize his performance in Munich, where he appeared out of his comfort zone for perhaps the first time since making his first-team football debut two seasons ago. Sempre Barca claims that following the final whistle, he said to reporters (see the interview below):
He will win numerous team and individual championships. He is only seventeen. I’ll say it again: he’s a child with plenty of potential. He is a phenomenon, but I beg you to leave him alone. He will undoubtedly win the Nations League numerous times over his lengthy career.
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