On the eve of the Nations League final, Portugal's national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo shared his thoughts on the upcoming clash with Spain's young star Lamine Yamal. The 40-year-old forward emphasized that in this match, team competition takes precedence over personal rivalry.
"We are two different generations. One of us is at the beginning of the journey, the other is nearing the end. It would be more appropriate to compare Yamal to Vitinha, not to me. We need to focus on team play, not personal competition," Ronaldo said at the pre-match press conference.
He also mentioned that he accepts such comparisons made by the media as a natural occurrence and that he finds it easy to accept criticism.
"It’s natural for the press to hype up such matches. It’s part of football. But all attention should be directed towards team efforts. The most important thing is for Portugal to show its game and perhaps defeat the strongest team in the world right now," added the experienced forward.
Having spent the season in top form in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo continues to play a crucial role as the leader of the national team. His comments are sparking significant discussions in the football world.
It should be noted that Lamine Yamal has been in the spotlight this season with his performances at Barcelona and his rapid integration into the Spain national team. The decisive match of the Nations League may also be remembered as a face-off between these two stars.
