Cristiano Ronaldo has showered 17-year-old Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal with praise while simultaneously cautioning fans against placing too much pressure on the developing talent.
"He's an incredible talent, but we need to give him space to grow," Ronaldo effectively communicated about the young star.
Yamal's meteoric rise has been impossible to ignore. The teenager has already helped guide Spain to its fourth European Championship last summer, earning the tournament's Young Player Award in the process. Domestically, his contribution to "Barcelona's" La Liga triumph has been equally impressive, tallying nine goals and providing 13 assists across 35 league appearances.
The youngster continued his remarkable form just days ago, netting twice in Spain's thrilling 5-4 victory over France in the UEFA Nations League semifinals on Thursday.
Interestingly, while Ronaldo acknowledges Yamal's exceptional talent and trajectory toward potential superstardom, the Portuguese icon emphasized the importance of not overwhelming the 17-year-old with unrealistic expectations this early in his career.
The stage is now set for a compelling final this Sunday, where Spain will face Portugal – who advanced after Ronaldo himself scored the decisive goal in their 2-1 win against Germany in the other semifinal match.
Can the young Yamal outshine the veteran Ronaldo when their national teams clash at Munich's Allianz Arena? We'll find out when the match kicks off at 3 p.m. ET.
