'Let him grow' - Ronaldo and Yamal to meet on Sunday

"There are antithetic generations, 1 is coming successful and different is exiting the stage. If you privation to spot maine arsenic different generation, past that's OK.

"When you speech astir a clash betwixt Cristiano and idiosyncratic else, that's not however it works. The media ever effort to hype things up, which is simply a mean thing, but it's 1 squad versus another."

So says Cristiano Ronaldo (the champion subordinate successful his 40s successful the world) who comes up against Lamine Yamal (the champion teen successful the world) successful Sunday's Nations League final.

Yamal's Spain instrumentality connected Ronaldo's Portugal successful Munich for the trophy - with some players having netted successful their semi-final wins.

It marks the archetypal clip that Barcelona's Yamal, being talked astir arsenic a imaginable Ballon d'Or victor this season, volition look five-time victor Ronaldo, who is retired of declaration astatine Saudi nine Al-Nassr this summer.

BBC Sport looks astatine what Ronaldo and Yamal had to accidental astir each different this week - and however they compare.

Both players were asked astir each different successful the build-up to this fixture.

Ronaldo, 40, said: "This kid has been doing things truly good astatine a nine and nationalist squad that assistance him precise much.

"It's a large ambiance for him to amusement his quality.

"Let him grow, bash not enactment him nether unit truthful we tin bask a endowment similar this for galore years.

"I would similar to instrumentality unit disconnected him and permission him alone. He's got plentifulness of talent."

Yamal, who turns 18 connected 13 July, said: "He's a shot legend. I, similar each the players, person immense respect for Cristiano.

"This is the benignant of crippled I privation to play, to beryllium who I am."

The commencement to Yamal's vocation has been spectacular.

This is his last crippled earlier helium turns 18 and helium has already won the European Championship with Spain, and 2 La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona.

He has played 106 times for Barcelona, successful that clip scoring 25 goals and assisting different 18. For Spain, helium has 20 caps, six goals and 9 assists.

He has netted successful the semi-final of a European Championship, Champions League and the Nations League - striking doubly successful Thursday's 5-4 triumph implicit France. He has besides scored 4 El Clasico goals against Real Madrid.

By the clip Ronaldo turned 18, helium had 5 goals and 3 assists successful 19 games for Sporting and had yet to play for Portugal oregon triumph a large trophy.

Ronaldo was 22 earlier helium won a league rubric (with Manchester United) and 31 erstwhile helium won a large planetary trophy (Euro 2016).

While Yamal has achieved much than Ronaldo arsenic a teenager, helium volition bash good to lucifer the Portugal captain's longevity.

At the property of 40, Ronaldo is inactive prolific for state and club, albeit successful the lesser league of Saudi Arabia. He is expected to motion a caller woody with Al-Nassr this summer.

His victor successful the Nations League semi-final against Germany was his 137th extremity successful his 220th cap, some figures records successful men's planetary football.

In total, helium has 937 vocation goals, besides a record, and is connected people to scope 1,000 successful 2 years.

His consistency is stunning too, with the 17 goals helium scored successful 2022-23 for Manchester United and Al-Nassr combined his slightest prolific play successful the past 19 years.

By the clip Yamal was born, successful July 2007, Ronaldo already had 46 caps.

He won the Ballon d'Or, the Champions League and became the astir costly footballer of each clip (joining Real Madrid from United for £80m) earlier Yamal started school.

And his son, Portugal Under-15 planetary Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, is lone 3 years younger than Yamal.