Cristiano Ronaldo downplays Lamine Yamal's Ballon d'Or credentials, citing a major reason, while the Portuguese legend insists the Barcelona prodigy should be shielded from pressure.
Ronaldo Yamal Nations League.
Cristiano Ronaldo has ruled out Lamine Yamal as a Ballon d’Or candidate, citing the youngster’s age and Barcelona’s Champions League exit as key factors.
WHAT HAPPENED?
After an outstanding season with 18 goals and 25 assists, Yamal has become a leading Ballon d’Or contender. However, Ronaldo cautions against piling too much pressure on the 17-year-old and argues that a PSG player deserves the award following their Champions League success. The debate adds intrigue as Ronaldo prepares to face Yamal when Portugal meet Spain in the UEFA Nations League final on Sunday.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Kylian Mbappé has thrown his support behind Ousmane Dembélé for the Ballon d’Or over Yamal, stating it’s ‘obvious’ his French teammate deserves the honor. The attacking star netted 33 goals and provided 15 assists this season, with two of those assists coming in PSG’s dominant 5-0 Champions League final victory against Inter.
WHAT CRISTIANO RONALDO SAID
Ronaldo stated to journalists:
“Lamine Yamal is doing very well, he is taking full advantage of his talent. Now let the kid grow and don’t put too much pressure on him. Let him be and let him grow well, take the pressure off him. He has no shortage of talent.”
He added: “The individual awards have lost some consensus; I can’t say anything about who should win. In my opinion, those who stand out and win the Champions League should win. But there is no consensus. I don’t believe much in individual awards because I know what goes on behind the scenes. Lamine could win, like Dembele or Vitinha, other emerging players… But individual awards are irrelevant.”
WHAT NEXT?
The Nations League final on Sunday will pit Ronaldo against Yamal in a battle for trophy glory.
