Cristiano Ronaldo gives Lamine Yamal advice for long career | OneFootball

Spain will clash with Portugal in the Round of 16 at the World Cup, in what is set to be one of the ties of the round. It will also Cristiano Ronaldo in action in what he has now confirmed will be his last World Cup, trying to halt the progress of Spain’s new star, Lamine Yamal.

The Barcelona number 10 is the face of the new generation of emerging talent in football, while Ronaldo is one of the faces of the last throes of his own. The 41-year-old has confirmed that he will retire from Portugal duty once his World Cup is over, albeit he hopes there is more than one match left. Along with Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Lionel Messi are also likely playing in their last World Cup, bringing the curtain down on an era of football they helped define.

Ronaldo advice to Lamine Yamal over career

Ahead of the Spain-Portugal clash, it was Ronaldo that the Selecao put up for media duties. He was asked what advice he would give to Lamine Yamal for a long and successful career. Ronaldo had already won the Premier League with Manchester United when Lamine Yamal was born in 2007.

“The better prepared you are, the better you’ll survive a long career. If you pay attention to criticism, you’re done for. There is constructive criticism, and then there is criticism meant to destroy you. I understand where you’re coming from, but in his case, he has to get used to it if he wants a long career. He also needs to focus on the people who care about him. You have to value those who love you and have a passion for what you do. There are days when you don’t feel like it, but that’s part of the job,” he told MD.

Lamine Yamal returning to full fitness

Lamine Yamal has gradually been building up his fitness at the World Cup, having come into the tournament off the back of a hamstring injury. Against Austria in the Round of 32, he lasted for 85 minutes, his longest yet. Both the Barcelona man and manager Luis de la Fuente have declared that he is now at 100% and able to play a full match, which will likely be the case against Portugal.