Cristiano Ronaldo has hailed Lamine Yamal as a “phenomenon” while calling for the football world to “leave him alone”. Ronaldo, whose Portugal side beat Yamal’s Spain on penalties in the Nations League final on Sunday, was full of praise for the 17-year-old, who started in both the semi-final and final.

Portugal won the 2024-25 edition of the UEFA Nations League in penalties against Spain at the Allianz Arena in Munich after the match finished 2-2. After winning the semifinal against Germany on Wednesday,

Before a ball was even kicked on Thursday, the UEFA Nations League semifinal between France and Spain was billed as a clash of two modern greats, and the match certainly didn’t disappoint.