Ronaldo reflects on why Spain are ‘a very tough rival’ ahead of the Nations League Final

Cristiano Ronaldo revealed his opinion about Spain as he prepares to try and take away the Nations Leaguecrown from the country with Portugal at the Allianz Arena. He called La Roja a “very tough rival” as he hailed the class of their teenage sensation. But their strengths go much deeper in his eyes.

• ‘Each game is a separate game’

Portugal had to put an end to a rotten record to get into this final. They had not beaten Germany since a 3-0 win in the 2000 European Championship, and it seemed that the run would go on when Florian Wirtz scored at the start of the second half in the semi-final. But goals from Francisco Conceicao and Ronaldo turned around the score in five minutes to send the Seleção through.

That triumph has given confidence to the camp that Ronaldo reflected on ahead of this fixture.

“I hope so because each game is a separate game. We had not beaten Germany in many years, but history changes, chapters change, pages turn, and I hope we can have a good day for Portugal; we can win the final. We know it is going to be very tough, but again, that is the nature of finals.”

Recent memories for Ronaldo against Spain are mostly negative. He netted a hat trick in a 3-3 draw in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup, but also went out of successive tournaments to La Roja in 2010 and 2012 before losing a deal breaker in the battle to top their Nations League group in 2022. However, it is possible for him to turn a positive out of those moments for himself and his peers.

“Memories are part of your life. You have to live in the present, but memories make us what we are today and that’s why sometimes I flash back to these memories, and I hope this motivates people.”

It has been the best part of 15 years since he tasted a triumph over the Spaniards, but he is not holding himself captive to past experiences. Having won this trophy in 2019, he wants it for a second time.

“Throughout the years, football has taught me the past is the past and we have to live in the moment. We will be playing for a trophy. Portugal has won this trophy once, but we want to win it again.”

It would be a pleasing addition to his haul of honours. The 40-year-old won the Arab Club Champions Cup with Al-Nassr in 2023 but the last few years of his career, which is winding to a close, have been leaner in terms of trophies. He accepts it as part of the price of being in a competitive environment.

“I miss winning trophies but that is part of life. You can’t win everything all the time. This is football: sometimes we win and sometimes you go years without winning competitions. It’s part of football. You can’t win all the time. This game is the last step in our season. I am confident things will go our way.”

• ‘The kid has big potential’

Among the ranks of La Roja, the talk of the town is Lamine Yamal. At the age of 17, he is already in contention for the Ballon d’Or, and he added more heft to his candidacy with a first brace, including a first senior penalty, for his nation in a 5-4 win over France— and award rival Ousmane Dembele.

Ronaldo has walked a similar path to the teenager, whom he rates highly. But he also knows how the weight of expectation can become a big burden to carry, cautioning against too much media attention.

“This kid has been doing things really well. He is in a club that helps him in a national team that helps him very much. But what I want is to see people let him grow, not to put him under so much pressure for the good of football, so we can enjoy his talent for many years. We need to leave him.”

He also did not give a concrete candidate to win the award. After picking out a few members of the Paris Saint-Germain group that won the Champions League final and earned a historic treble, he suggested that there are many figures who have a fair claim to taking this prize in his eyes.

“This kid has big potential, but he will need to improve. In four to five years, we will see the best of him. He has the quality to become somebody like Kylian Mbappe, Vitinha, Ousmane Dembele, but I think that it is irrelevant right now because there is not a 100% consensus and this is my opinion.”

Furthermore, the forward felt it would be unfair to talk only about the strengths of the right winger.

Nico Williams, his fellow wingman on the left flank, scored his sixth goal for his country and put on an electric performance. Having a true threat on both wings is unique for La Roja and has taken them to a higher level. That is without even noting their top-tier management in the middle of the park.

“You’ve been talking about Lamine Yamal a lot, and you are right to do so because he is really good, but I have to value the Spanish team. There is a whole history from the time I started playing against Spain. They always had many of their greatest talents. They have a very competent team. They have Nico Williams, a great player, they have Pedri and this generation of young, up-and-coming players.”

The man who has overseen this journey is Luis de la Fuente. He has forged a path to the top through the youth level with various Spanish sides in the last decade and has turned out to be much more than a ‘company man’, leading his country to a fourth Euros title in 2024, sandwiched by two appearances in the final of the Nations League. Ronaldo recognised his role of leadership for this young group.

“The coach of Spain, Luis de la Fuente, is doing a great job. He is a top person, really serious; he treats people with discipline. They are a very tough rival, a very complicated team to play against.”