Lamine Yamal praises Cristiano Ronaldo’s mentality amid comparisons with Messi and other stars

Lamine Yamal‘s meteoric rise in the football world has taken fans by surprise, quickly making him a sensation for both FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team while still just a teenager. As comparisons with Lionel Messi and other legends continue to follow him, the 18-year-old took his time to praise Christiano Ronaldo‘s mentality.

A product of The Masiathe left-footed winger burst onto the scene at a young age with his pace and dribbling ability. These qualities naturally led to comparisons with the Barcelona icon Messia story that Yamal has consistently continued as he focuses on building his own identity.

After receiving the Diego Maradona Award at the 2025 Globe Soccer Awards, Yamal was asked about the constant comparisons and who he would like to be compared to: “No, in the end I think it’s better not to compare yourself to anyone.“

The Barcelona forward then made a pointed reference to Ronaldo, who was also present, highlighting the Portuguese star’s mentality. “Ultimately, I think players like Cristiano became who they are because they wanted to be themselves, they didn’t want to be like anyone else. And I want to follow my own path and stay away from it,Yamal added.

Yamal was later asked what fans should know about him off the field, and he ended on a light-hearted note. “Nothing, just that my mother is the boss at home, and that’s it,” the 18-year-old joked, concluding his comments after citing Ronaldo as a model for handling comparisons.

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A gala full of prizes for Yamal

The 2025 Globe Soccer Awards were held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with several current stars and legends attending the ceremony founded in 2010 by Tommaso Bendoni, Riccardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes. Among many accolades, Yamal once again emerged as one of the standout winners.

Yamal claimed the Diego Maradona Awardgiven to the most skilled and exciting player whose style has captured the imagination of fans. In addition, he was also recognized as La Liga’s best U-23 player and appointed Best attacker of 2025which ended an unforgettable evening.