“Irrelevant when they talk about Cristiano against this” - Cristiano Ronaldo names Portugal star who is ‘closer’ comparison to Lamine Yamal than him

Cristiano Ronaldo has downplayed the possible rivalry with Lamine Yamal ahead of the UEFA Nations League final between Spain and Portugal. He believes that the headline should focus on players of the same generation rather than those at the extreme ends of their respective careers.

Speaking to the media, Ronaldo named Vitinha as the ideal rival for Yamal in the Nations League final on Sunday, June 8. He said that the midfielder would be closer to the Spaniard on the pitch, and they are also closer in terms of age. He said (via OJogo):

"Whenever I've played in finals, it's Cristiano against this or that. It doesn't keep me up at night anymore, I'm used to it. They're completely different generations. One is ending, the other is starting. They could play Lamine [Yamal] against Vitinha, who are closer, but that's no problem.

"I'll put my body up for the bullets, it's irrelevant when they talk about Cristiano against this or that. It's not like that, it's one team against another, and it will always be like that, but I understand. The media makes the game more heated. It's beautiful and normal. What I want most is for Portugal to be at a good level, for us to play a great game and win, against a very good team, possibly the best in the world."

Lamine Yamal spoke to the media about facing Cristiano Ronaldo at the final and said that he had great respect for the Portuguese star. He said (via ESPN):

"Obviously all the players have great respect for him, he is a football legend. I will do my job, which is to win and that's it."

Yamal and Ronaldo will be facing off for the first time when they take the pitch on Sunday, June 8, at the Allianz Arena.

UEFA Nations League final is not Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lamine Yamal, claims João Neves

João Neves spoke to the media at a press conference on Friday, June 6, and insisted that it was not a battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal. He believes that the two sides are strong contenders for the trophy and said (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..."

Portugal were the inaugural Nations League champions in 2019. Spain finished runners-up in 2021 but won it in 2023.