Portugal midfielder João Neves says Sunday’s UEFA Nations League final is not just Lamine Yamal against Cristiano Ronaldo.
The showdown between Spain and Portugal at the Allianz Arena is the first time Barcelona teenage sensation Yamal will play against former Real Madrid star Ronaldo, who is the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football with 137 goals.
“I don’t look at the game like that [Cristiano Ronaldo vs Yamal],” Neves said in Friday’s news conference. “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 …”
Four Portugal players, one of them Neves, helped Paris Saint-Germain win a historic Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Champions League treble this season. Ronaldo, 40, is still a force.
He scored the winner as Portugal beat Germany 2-1, in midweek to reach the final.
The Al Nassr captain was for a second straight season the leading scorer in the Saudi Pro League.
Yamal, 17, has had a sensational start to his career. After playing a vital role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, he won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercup with Barça this season.
He already has six goals in 20 appearances for Spain, with two of those strikes coming in Spain’s 5-4 win over France in their midweek Nations League semifinal.
Yamal played down the opportunity to face Ronaldo.
When asked if he is motivated to go up against the Portugal captain, Yamal said: “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.”
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