VIDEO: Cristiano Ronaldo Jr admits Lamine Yamal is a better player than his dad - but also aims 'hasn't won anything' dig at Barcelona wonderkid
Teen sensation Yamal, who recently celebrated turning 18, is considered to be a natural heir to the 'best in the world' crown that has been passed between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi over the course of the last 20 years.
Advertisement
WATCH THE CLIP
THE BIGGER PICTURE
He is expected to land a first Ballon d'Or at some point in the not too distant future, allowing him to follow in the most illustrious of footsteps. There is, however, still much for Yamal to achieve if he is to fulfil his undoubted potential and earn a standing among the all-time greats.
DID YOU KNOW?
Portuguese GOAT Ronaldo - who remains on the books of Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr - already occupies that talent bracket, with his oldest son admitting that his famous father remains his favourite player. Junior has, however, conceded that Yamal is more naturally gifted than his legendary dad.
Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 2025
WHAT RONALDO JR SAID
When that point was made during a chat with American content creator 2xRKai, Ronaldo Jr said: 'Right now? Yeah. But he hasn't won anything yet. Lamine is very good, but he still hasn't won anything yet.'
Advertisement
WHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?
Ronaldo Jr met Yamal when the latter took in a well-earned holiday on the back of helping Spain to European Championship glory in 2024. He also picked up La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup honours last season, meaning that he has won plenty and intends to enhance that medal collection in the years to come.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
30 minutes ago
- CBS News
Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase tie for the top wide receiver in a vote by AP writers
Ja'Marr Chase achieved the receiving triple crown. Justin Jefferson has rewritten receiving records in his first five seasons. So which superstar pass-catcher is the best wide receiver in the NFL? It's a tie, according to a panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers who ranked the top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points. Chase and Jefferson each received four first-place votes and four seconds. Amon-Ra St. Brown finished third, CeeDee Lamb was fourth and AJ Brown placed fifth. Tyreek Hill, Garrett Wilson, Terry McLaurin and Mike Evans also received votes. Jefferson had 103 catches for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, also earning a unanimous All-Pro selection. Jefferson is the first player in NFL history with more than 7,000 receiving yards in just five seasons. He set records for most receptions by any player in their first three NFL seasons and most yards in first three, four and five seasons. Chase led the league in receptions (127), yards receiving (1,708) and touchdown catches (17) last season, becoming just the sixth wide receiver in the Super Bowl era to win the receiving triple crown. He was a unanimous All-Pro selection and teamed with Tee Higgins to give quarterback Joe Burrow two dynamic playmakers. Brown has three straight seasons of more than 100 receptions and more than 1,100 yards receiving. He followed up an All-Pro season in 2023 with another one in 2024, finishing with 115 catches for 1,263 yards and 12 TDs. Brown received three third-place votes, one fourth and three fifths. A four-time Pro Bowl pick and 2023 All-Pro, Lamb has put up prolific numbers in his first five seasons. Lamb had 101 catches for 1,194 yards and six TDs last year, his third straight surpassing 100/1,100. Lamb holds the Cowboys' single-season records for both receptions (135) and receiving yards (1,749), both set in 2023 when he also set an NFL record with three straight games of 10 receptions and 150 yards receiving. He received two third-place votes and four fourths. Brown has become one of the league's elite playmakers since joining Philadelphia in 2022. He had 67 catches for 1,079 yards and seven TDs in 13 games last season and played a big role in the offense for the Super Bowl champions. The three-time Pro Bowl pick had more than 1,400 yards receiving in each of his first two seasons with the Eagles. Brown got two third-place votes and three fifths.
Miami Herald
37 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Messi aims to keep scoring streak alive as Inter Miami faces Cincinnati on the road
Lionel Messi is on a roll entering the Inter Miami game at FC Cincinnati Wednesday, with two goals in each of his past five MLS matches. An obscure statistic could serve as extra motivation for him to keep the streak alive. The Argentine legend, who has scored 872 goals over his illustrious career, has never scored against Cincinnati, unless you count the penalty kick he converted in a shootout win on Aug. 23, 2023, in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. Messi provided a pair of assists for a Leo Campana brace that day but did not score from the run of play. Two months later, Messi was returning from injury and entered the Miami game against Cincinnati as a second half sub but did not score. He was away on international duty and missed Cincinnati's 6-1 rout of Miami in early July 2024, as did Luis Suarez. Jordi Alba was not available for that game, either, due to yellow card accumulation and Sergio Busquets exited with a pair of yellows in the second half, leaving Miami with 10 men. Messi also skipped their most recent matchup in August 2024 due to injury. Informed by media members that Messi had never scored against Cincinnati, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano broke into a huge grin and said: 'That's great news you are giving me. I'm sure he already knows. But that is great motivation. We all know Leo. In every game he finds extra motivation, not only individually but collectively. He loves a new challenge. He's one of those players who, if that challenge isn't there, he will invent one. That's why he's so great. Hopefully, he can end that scoreless streak.' Cincinnati sits in second place in the Eastern Conference with 42 points from 22 games, just one point behind league leader Philadelphia Union. Cincinnati was in first place and riding a four-game winning streak last week but lost 4-2 to Columbus. Inter Miami returns to Cincinnati for the first time since that 6-1 drubbing last summer and has lost three straight games at TQL Stadium. But Miami is in good form, with five consecutive MLS victories and a strong performance in the Club World Cup. Messi and his teammates have climbed to fifth place in the East with three games in hand over their opponents and are just three points from third place and five from the top of the table. The team is coming off a 2-1 home victory over Nashville on Saturday. 'It's a similar situation as Nashville, a team that though it lost the other day, was coming off a very good streak at home, winning lots of games, and we expect a very difficult game against a team with great players and a coach with a lot of MLS experience,' Mascherano said of Cincinnati. Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan said while Inter Miami is best known for its superstars, his players must beware of the entire roster. 'Their best players are really strong, but it's not just about Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Alba who are, we know, world class. They've done this their entire careers. But I think the pieces around them right now are also performing at a high level,' Noonan said. 'You see all the pieces, he [Telasco) Segovia's, the [Fede] Redondo's. On the back line - [Maxi] Falcon - these guys are, and I'm naming all of these players that are getting a lot of minutes and helping them, [Tadeo] Allende. These are really good players. So, our 11 have to be collective in everything they do to try to make them uncomfortable when we have the ball and be very connected and very strong especially in one v one moments.' Inter Miami midfielders Yannick Bright and David Ruiz and defender Gonzalo Lujan got medical clearance to play and will travel to the game after long layoffs, Mascherano confirmed. He was unsure how much they would play. Center back David Martinez's loan from River Plate expires on Wednesday, so he will not travel with the team and is headed back to Argentina. Noonan noted Inter Miami's improved defense, which is bolstered by strong leadership from goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and center back Maxi Falcon. 'I think defensively you can see, just in moments where the ball turns over, the organization and how they've defended against the ball to be tough to play against,' Noonan said. 'So, I think that's been a strength of their team and in recent months, from what we've seen' With 10 goals in his last five league matches, Messi set a league record. 'The reality is we're playing one of, if not the, greatest players that ever played, so we have to be mindful of where he is and what he does,' defender Matt Miazga said. 'But at the same time, we're playing at home. We have to focus on ourselves and push our game forward. If we do that, we'll minimize them, and that's the most important thing. So that's the focus now.' Kevin Denkey and Evander lead Cincinnati with 25 goals between them. Cincinnati also features former Inter Miami right back DeAndre Yedlin. How to Watch: Inter Miami vs. Cincinnati kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV MLS Season Pass.
Fox News
38 minutes ago
- Fox News
Euro 2025: Spain On Track? Watch Out For France? What Stood Out and What's Next
Surprise results, record crowds, and the pivotal matches on the horizon. The 2025 UEFA Women's Euros has already seen plenty of big moments. With the group stage wrapped up, all eyes will be on the quarterfinal matches – which begin on Thursday and go through the looking ahead, let's recap what stood out from the group stage. One title contender, the Netherlands, was eliminated after lopsided losses to both England and France. There was some heartbreak with Germany captain Giulia Gwinn suffering an early knee injury that will keep her out for the rest of the tournament. And some history, with a record 600,000 tickets already sold despite the heat wave that's taken over Switzerland. There's more excitement to come, but here's what stood out from the group stage and what we're looking forward to in the next round: Can Anyone Stop Spain From Silverware? The biggest news entering the Euros was that Spain star and reigning Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí was hospitalized with meningitis less than a week before the tournament began. She recovered quickly, and was able to come on as a substitute in La Roja's first two matches before starting and playing a full 90 minutes in the team's third group stage match against Italy. Whether Bonmatí would have needed more recovery time or not, it's clear that Spain is a machine to be reckoned with and still looks like the favorite to win it all. Alexia Putellas has been dominant with three goals so far, as has Esther Gonzalez, the NWSL's leading scorer who also leads all Euros scorers with four goals. As a whole, the team has been particularly effective in possession and in combination play. And once Bonmatí regains her full strength and starts scoring goals of her own, La Roja will be even more potent. A 2023 World Cup final rematch with England is certainly in the cards, though Spain have to get past Switzerland in the quarterfinal and then either France or Germany in the semi before thinking about that potential headline-grabbing matchup. New-look France Emerges From 'Groupe de la Mort' France finished atop a difficult Group D after a decisive 5-2 win over the Netherlands on Sunday. Les Bleues won all three of their games – against England, Wales and the Netherlands – and will play Germany in the quarterfinal on Saturday. There were questions surrounding this squad before the tournament began when manager Laurent Bonadei shocked the footballing world when he left captain Wendie Renard, Eugenie Le Sommer and Kenza Dali off the team. Together, the trio of well-known veterans have 444 caps and are synonymous with France's national team. But this is a program that has never won a major international tournament before, and Bonadei wanted to try something new. While the decision likely still stings, France looks like a team that can challenge for a trophy. Especially given Germany hasn't looked particularly dangerous and is coming off a 4-1 loss to Sweden. Swiss Surprise? Hosts Aiming To Make More Noise Switzerland was nearly ousted from the tournament until substitute Riola Xhemaili scored in stoppage time to draw Finland 1-1 in its final group stage match, which was enough to send the hosts through to the next round. The Swiss only needed a tie to advance, but trailed 1-0 following a 79th-minute penalty by Finland, creating some nervy final moments. The host's reward? A quarterfinal against Spain on Friday. The reigning world champs have scored 14 goals in three games, 12 of which have been from inside the box. Switzerland, meanwhile, has only found the back of the net four times. An inability to find the back of the net won't cut it against Spain's clinical attack. So how will veteran coach Pia Sundhage prepare for Spain? If it's anything like the last match, she'll utilize the youth on her roster which consists of 19-year-old Leila Wandeler (Lyon) and 18-year-olds Sydney Schertenleib (Barcelona) and Iman Beney (Manchester City). Schertenleib at least knows her opponent well, playing alongside the majority of them at club level. Regardless of what the end result will be, one thing is for sure: the environment for this matchup will be epic given how fans have shown up en masse all tournament. What To Expect In Quarterfinals The most anticipated quarterfinal match has to be England vs. Sweden. Both nations are playing at a high level right now – the Swedes just shocked Germany 4-1 in their final group stage match while the Lionesses are doing everything possible to win back-to-back Euros. These teams met in the semifinals at the 2022 Euros and England won 4-0. But this should be a closer game, as Sweden has been a much improved team since then. Sweden poses a physical, imposing threat and thrives on set pieces, while England has a deeper squad and are battle-tested coming out of a more challenging group. Elsewhere, Germany and France offer a showdown between two European powers, while Switzerland will try to stay alive against a heavily-favored and more proficient Spain. Norway vs. Italy is probably the least thrilling on paper, but it's a chance to watch stars Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen book a spot in the semifinals. Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
