Lamine Yamal declared the Nations League final would give him the chance to ‘prove who I am’. As if he hasn’t already done that. Blessed with jaw-dropping ability and magic feet, he is a household name at the tender age of 17.
Yamal scored twice and took home the player of the match award after inspiring Spain to a pulsating 5-4 victory over France in Stuttgart, and now has 48 goal contributions in his 57 games for club and country this season. Terrifyingly, there is more to come.
Using the phrase ‘the sky is the limit’ often feels like an easy throwaway, and it has been bandied about all too often to describe the potential of players who, one way or another, have gone on to drop off the radar, burdened by expectation.
Yamal, though, is a different breed. He is destined, and always has been, for the top.
He remains humbly tied to his roots, demonstrated when Mail Sport paid a recent visit to his Rocafonda and through his celebrations, in which he makes the gesture of the number 304, the last digits of the neigbourhood’s local postcode.
But he is also already head-first on a journey which will surely elevate him to the pantheon of all-time greats, placing him right alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. There are numerous connections between the two players despite the huge gulf in their ages.
Lamine Yamal inspired Spain to the Nations League final – where he will face Cristiano Ronaldo
Yamal, 17, scored twice and was named player of the match after the 5-4 win against France
But the evergreen Ronaldo sent the world a reminder after netting the winner against Germany
After scoring his second goal against France, Yamal even mimicked Ronaldo’s famous celebration by sitting on the advertisement hoardings and posing. He will go face-to-face with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner for the very first time on Sunday.
Ronaldo, let us not forget, is 23 years Yamal’s senior, not that he will be in a hurry to admit he is on the cusp of being usurped by the young pretender. Proving he still has ‘it’, the veteran scored Portugal’s winner against Germany in the other semi-final.
‘He’s a football legend,’ Yamal said. ‘I, like all the players, have huge respect for Cristiano. I will do my job, which is to try to win, and that’s it.’
Feet planted firmly on the ground, he will know there is work to do to catch Ronaldo.
Ronaldo had already won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup, and scored 17 goals for his country by the time Yamal was born. At six months, Yamal was bathed by Lionel Messi in a photoshoot and, from that point, football never let go.
Fast forward 16 years, and Yamal announced himself on the world stage.
His big moment came in Munich in July 2024, when his wand of a left foot dispatched a sumptuous curling effort into the top corner. Fittingly, that was also against France.
Demonstrating that he was here to stay, Yamal became the youngest-ever scorer at a major tournament, replacing Pele in the record books. It is no surprise that Barcelona, who realised his genius at an early age, have already thrown money at him.
Yamal announced his arrival after scoring this sensational effort against France at Euro 2024
Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times and has been described by Yamal as a ‘legend’
Spanish law limits long-term contracts for minors, but a long-term agreement is in place for Yamal to sign until 2030 when he turns 18 in July. His future certainly lies in Catalonia, too, with his current deal containing a whopping £1billion release clause.
Agent Jorge Mendes believes the only factor stopping Yamal from winning the Ballon d’Or is his age, but time is certainly on his side. Both Ronaldo and Messi were in their early 20s when they won the award for the first time, and Yamal could beat that.
In Barcelona, they believe they have unearthed the heir to Messi’s throne.
Back in 2023, when Xavi weighed up bringing the Argentine back to the club from Paris Saint-Germain, a board member warned against it, telling him they already had the kid that PSG wanted in Yamal. Now, CIES Football Observatory have valued him at £340m.
The fire still burns bright within Ronaldo, however, even as his youthful exuberance fades. He believes he is still at the top of his game, and better than his rivals.
‘I am the greatest scorer in history,’ Ronaldo bullishly told La Sexta. ‘Although I am not left-footed, I am in the top 10 in history for goals scored with the left foot.
‘These are numbers, I am the most complete player who has ever existed. I play well with my head, I take good free-kicks, I am fast, I am strong, I jump…
‘I have never seen anyone better than me.’
Ronaldo believes he is still among the best players in the world despite reaching 40
The ace treats his body like a temple (pictured: Ronaldo with his partner Georgina Rodriguez)
But Yamal has been tipped to take Ronaldo’s throne after starring for both club and country
It’s hard to argue against that in the never-ending GOAT debate, although some claim Ronaldo’s top-level sharpness has been dulled by his decision to join Al-Nassr.
According to reports, he is expected to remain with the Saudi Pro League side. No official announcement has been made over a new deal, but he is said to have reached an agreement to extend his contract until 2027, tying him down until he turns 42.
He treats his body like a temple and it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that he plays on beyond that. Unlike other 40 somethings, he doesn’t have to watch his knees when he leaps into the air before landing and bellowing ‘siu’.
Ronaldo still looks in peak condition and enjoyed an impressive individual season, scoring 35 goals in 41 appearances as Al-Nassr finished third. He has been accused of stat-padding in the Gulf state, but the ace scores goals no matter where he is.
Take his display against Germany in Munich, for example. Ronaldo was a constant thorn in the side of his opponents and popped up with the winner, tapping in to score his 137th international goal and take his career tally to 937.
‘It’s difficult to put into words. He takes each day as an opportunity to get better,’ said Portugal boss Roberto Martinez. ‘As a human, when you have success, you wake up and you have less hunger. But not Cristiano.’
Countryman Bernardo Silva added: ‘It’s his ambition to keep going. It’s never easy – to still be hungry to go every day. He’s been doing this for more than 20 years.
‘It’s tough, but he’s here with us and we’re happy he scored again.’
Ronaldo took his career goal tally to 937 and is rapidly approaching the 1,000 milestone
But there is more to come from Yamal with Ronaldo standing in the way of Nations League glory
Even Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann was left in awe by the superstar’s fitness. ‘At 40, Ronaldo has a great body and he invests a lot in it,’ he said. ‘He invests a lot in himself and the result is there for all to see. He scored, it’s not by chance.’
Ronaldo needs just 63 more goals to become the first player to score 1,000, with Pele and Romario’s claims to the milestone not officially recognised. That alone underlines his longevity and sheer defiance in the face of the dying light.
Yamal, a different type of forward but seemingly just as deadly in front of goal, is unlikely to come close to that figure, but he is equally mesmersing to watch. He is unadulterated magic and will light up TV screens for decades to come.
So, the stage is set.
Only one of Yamal and Ronaldo will lead their country to Nations League glory, but keep a close eye on the equally irresistible subplots. Enjoy every touch and drop of the shoulder, because generational players like these deserve to be savoured.
The cold, hard numbers can wait for another day.
