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Key Points

Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken out about the immense potential of 17-year-old football sensation Lamine Yamal, cautioning against premature comparisons and excessive pressure. The Portuguese star emphasized the importance of allowing young talents like Yamal to develop naturally and without undue expectations. Yamal has already made significant impacts, winning Barcelona's domestic treble and helping Spain clinch the European Championship. Ronaldo's comments reflect a veteran's wisdom about nurturing emerging football talents.

Key Points: Ronaldo Defends Lamine Yamal From Premature Comparisons

  • Yamal's breakthrough season includes Barcelona treble and Euro 2024 win
  • Ronaldo warns against early career comparisons
  • Young talent needs supportive environment to flourish
2 min read

Let Lamine Yamal grow without pressure for the sake of football, says Cristiano

Cristiano Ronaldo advises letting young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal develop naturally without undue pressure ahead of Nations League final

"Let the boy grow calmly and take the pressure off him - Cristiano Ronaldo"

Munich, June 7

Ahead of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League final against Spain on Sunday, Cristiano Ronaldo spoke on Lamine Yamal as the 17-year-old has taken the footballing world by storm since breaking through as a regular in FC Barcelona’s squad in the past two years.

The winger was a pivotal part of Barcelona’s domestic treble this season and also helped Spain to win the 2024 European Championship. He also scored a brace in the 5-4 win over France in the semifinal of the Nations League.

Ronaldo said the comparisons between the two are not needed, but the only way to help him is to leave him alone.

“It’s always like this. Whenever there is a final, it is Cristiano against someone. You would have to compare Lamine with Vitinha, where there is less of an age difference, but they want to do it with Cristiano. It’s always Cristiano against someone, but it’s not like that. We play one team against another. What we want is to play a good game and win.

“The boy is doing things very, very well. The club and the national team helped him a lot. He is in a conducive environment. But I ask that you let the boy grow up for the sake of football. Let him grow calmly and take the pressure off him. You can help him by leaving him alone because he does not lack talent,” Ronaldo said in the pre-game conference.

Although Yamal has already almost completed club football in terms of trophies, the long wait of Barca fans to win the UEFA Champions League (UCL) continued after Yamal’s Barca were eliminated by Inter Milan in the semifinals. Ronaldo acknowledged that the Spaniard has a shot at winning the Ballon d’Or but believes winning the UCL is necessary for lifting the Golden Globe.

“In my opinion, the Ballon d’Or should be won by those who stand out and win the Champions League. But there is no consensus. I don’t believe much in individual awards because I know what is being worked on behind the scenes, but the boy (Lamine) has a chance... They are a bit irrelevant because there is not a 100% consensus,” he added.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Ronaldo showing true sportsmanship here! Indian football needs this kind of mentorship culture too. Our young talents like Chhangte and Vikram get crushed under pressure too soon. Let players grow naturally! 🇮🇳⚽
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Priya M.
Yamal is incredible but Ronaldo is right - comparisons are unfair. At 17, he's already achieved more than most players in their entire careers! Hope ISL clubs learn from Barca's youth development system.
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Arjun S.
Meanwhile in India, we hype our U17 players as "next Messi" after one good match 😅 Ronaldo's advice applies doubly here - let talents develop without crazy expectations! Our media needs to learn this lesson.
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Sunita R.
Respect for Ronaldo! But let's be honest - Yamal is already under pressure just by playing for Barca. Maybe CR7 could mentor him personally? That would be amazing for football! 🤩
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Vikram J.
Interesting point about Ballon d'Or needing UCL performance. Does this mean our Indian players can never dream of global recognition unless they play in Europe? AIFF needs to focus on getting our talents abroad!
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Neha P.
While I agree with Ronaldo, let's not pretend Yamal isn't getting special treatment. How many 17-year-olds would get this many chances at top clubs? Indian players his age struggle to get minutes in ISL. System matters!

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