Cristiano Ronaldo: "Let Lamine Yamal grow peacefully"

Munich (Germany), June 7 (EFE).- Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of the Portuguese national team, which will face Spain in the Nations League final this Sunday, asked in a press conference that Barcelona player Lamine Yamal, already a star of Spanish and world football despite being only 17 years old, be allowed to "grow calmly". "The boy is doing things very, very, very well. He's in a club that helps him a lot, he's in a national team that helps him a lot too, he's in a very conducive environment for his qualities to come out, which are very, very great. But what I really ask is that they let the boy grow up peacefully," he stated in a press conference in which he appeared very relaxed and showed a caring and even paternalistic tone with the left-footed player from Barcelona. "Don't put so much pressure on him for the good of football; to enjoy such talent for many years, you have to leave him alone, let him grow in his own way, calmly, and enjoy him for many years. Take the pressure off him and leave him alone. You can help him that way, leave him alone, because he has no shortage of talent," insisted Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese forward pointed out that he only likes to give advice face to face, in private, and, regarding the Spaniard's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or, he recalled that his opinion on individual awards is that they have lost value.

"There's nothing I can say about who deserves to win. Normally, in my opinion, the one who should win is the one who stands out and wins the Champions League. But I don't really believe in individual awards anymore, because I know what goes on behind the scenes. That the kid has potential, no doubt, but both he and Mbappe, or Dembele himself, Vitinha, other players from Spain who are coming up there, but individual awards are irrelevant," he added.

Regarding considering this Sunday's final as a symbol of the generational transition between him and Lamine Yamal, he pointed out that "it has always been like this, it has always been Cristiano against this or that", something he is "used to".

"They are different generations, one starts and the other ends. They should compare Lamine with Vitinha, who are closer. But there is no problem, I'll take the criticism. Actually, it's not like that, it's one team against another. But I understand, the media heats up the match, it's nice and normal. What I most desire is that Portugal be at a good level and win against a team that is probably the best in the world," he declared.

He also joked about the age proximity between Lamine Yamal and his eldest son. "They have a similar skin tone, they are dark-skinned, they are three years apart. Also, I have a great relationship with Spain, my wife is Spanish and Argentinian, and I have a very special affection for Spain. In this case, you mention his name a lot, and rightly so because the boy deserves it," he pointed out.