Cristiano Ronaldo has stated why Sunday’s Nations League final against Spain is more than just a clash against teen prodigy Lamine Yamal.
Ronaldo, 40, who is Portugal’s captain, faces off against 17-year-old Yamal, who many see as a successor to football wizard Lionel Messi.
Both veteran and new talent go head to head in the final, which takes place in Munich after Ronaldo netted Portugal’s winner against Germany.
Yamal was named Man of the Match after scoring a brace in the semi-final match against France, leading to his team’s 5-4 victory.
Speaking on the final, Ronaldo said the focus on the two of them is overblown, adding that Spain was “maybe the best national team in the world”.
“There are different generations, one is coming in and another is exiting the stage. If you want to see me as another generation, then that’s OK.
“When you talk about a clash between Cristiano and someone else, that’s not how it works. The media always try to hype things up, which is a normal thing, but it’s one team versus another team.
“You’ve been talking about Lamine a lot, and you’re right to do so because he’s very good, but I’d like to talk about the team.
“They’ve got Nico Williams, great midfielders like Pedri, and their coach (Luis) de la Fuente is very good, very strong, very disciplined,” Ronaldo said to journalists.