🚨 Reporter Thierry Henry asks Lamine Yamal which country he will be supporting to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup apart from Spain:
🎙️ Thierry Henry:
“Lamine, if Spain don’t win the World Cup, which country would you like to see become champions?”
🗣️ Lamine Yamal:
“First of all, I hope Spain wins it.
That is my country and my dream.
But if Spain cannot do it, I would probably support PORTUGAL 🇵🇹.”
🎙️ Thierry Henry:
“Why Portugal?”
🗣️ Lamine Yamal:
“They have an incredible team with quality in every position.
They have experience, young talent and players who know how to handle the pressure of big tournaments.
For many years they have been among the strongest teams in world football.”
🎙️ Thierry Henry:
“Is Cristiano Ronaldo part of the reason?”
🗣️ Lamine Yamal::
“Of course.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players to ever play the game and I have a lot of respect for him.
Every young footballer has learned something from watching him including MESSI.
His mentality, discipline and desire to keep improving are unbelievable.
Even now he continues to inspire players around the world.
I think it would be special to see him win the FIFA World Cup. He has achieved almost everything in football and that would be the perfect ending to an incredible career.”
🎙️ Thierry Henry:
“So PORTUGAL 🇵🇹 would be your choice?”
🗣️ Lamine Yamal:
“Yes. Spain first, always.
But if not Spain, then I would love to see PORTUGAL 🇵🇹 and CRISTIANO RONALDO lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
🇩🇪🗣 Jürgen Klinsmann:
"Sooner or later, Cristiano Ronaldo will score the most important goals, and the most important goals aren't scored in the first match… I have no doubt whatsoever that Cristiano Ronaldo will score at least two goals in this tournament."
The only Portuguese player who openly idolized Cristiano Ronaldo and publicly admitted it in interviews. No other Portuguese player spoke about Cristiano’s influence the way Jota did.
God should have taken someone else and not you Jota. 💔🥺🕊️
Sir Alex Ferguson on João Neves saying Cristiano Ronaldo is “just another player” in the Portugal team:
🗣️ “I understand what João Neves was trying to say, but when you're speaking about Cristiano Ronaldo, you have to choose your words very carefully.”
“There is a difference between saying everyone must contribute and saying Cristiano Ronaldo is just another player. Cristiano stopped being ‘just another player’ a very long time ago.”
“Young players today have grown up watching him break records, win trophies, and carry teams through the biggest moments. That kind of legacy deserves a different level of respect.”
“Of course everyone in the squad must work, defend, attack, and sacrifice for the team. Nobody is above that. Not even Cristiano himself would disagree with that.”
“But let's not rewrite history. Players come and go. Cristiano Ronaldo changed the history of Portugal and helped transform the standards of an entire generation.”
“When you walk into a dressing room with someone who has achieved what Cristiano has achieved, you don't treat him like an ordinary player. You learn from him.”
“I don't think João meant disrespect, but statements like that can easily be interpreted the wrong way because Cristiano Ronaldo is not a normal footballer. He is one of the greatest the game has ever seen.”
“And whether people like it or not, there are many players wearing a Portugal shirt today because Cristiano Ronaldo helped make Portuguese football bigger than it had ever been before.”
🚨🎙️ Luis Figo talking about Joao Neves comments on Cristiano Ronaldo
“It’s obvious some of the players don’t want him in the team. He might be holding them back but they need to remember what he has done for this country
Young Cristiano wouldn’t have needed anybody’s help to score a goal. He won matches on his own and carried this country single-handedly for years. He made Portugal popular. Cristiano is Portugal,they need to support him and give him the send off he deserves
Cristiano respected the seniors in the team when he got his first call up to the team. There are many players in that squad that are filled with arrogance. What have they achieved? nothing. They need to remember he is the reason why we believe we can win the World Cup. He is everybody’s inspiration”.👏
🚨Roberto Martínez on João Neves’ comments about Cristiano Ronaldo:
🎙️ Reporter: “Coach, some people interpreted João Neves’ comments as suggesting Cristiano Ronaldo is just another player on the pitch. Is João wrong to make that statement?”
🗣️ Roberto Martínez: “I think that statement can easily be misunderstood.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s position in this squad can never be underestimated.
We are talking about one of the greatest players in football history.
He has done it all.
He has scored more goals for Portugal than anyone else, broken countless records, and even today he never stops fighting for this country.
That is the reality.
When people hear comments like that, it can make them question a player’s thinking, his understanding of the dressing room, and even his values.
But I also understand what João was trying to say.
I don’t believe there was any disrespect intended.
What he was trying to express is that Portugal’s objective is bigger than any individual.
However, that should never take away from what Cristiano means to this national team.
His influence, leadership, experience, and commitment are impossible to replace.
Cristiano Ronaldo is not just another player.
He is a symbol of Portuguese football.
And every player in this squad knows exactly what he represents.
{@beINSPORTS }
🚨🎙️Toni Kroos on João Neves' reported comments:🚨🔴
"If João Neves truly said there is no difference between himself and Cristiano Ronaldo, then he owes Ronaldo, the football world, and even himself an explanation.
I have nothing against confidence. Every top player needs confidence to succeed at the highest level. But there is a very thin line between confidence and complete disrespect. Comparing yourself to Cristiano Ronaldo when you have not achieved even a fraction of what he has achieved is simply arrogance.
Cristiano Ronaldo has spent more than two decades proving himself against the best teams, the best defenders, and the best players in every competition imaginable. He has won league titles in multiple countries, Champions Leagues, international trophies, Ballons d'Or, and scored goals at a level football has rarely seen before.
João Neves is a talented young player, but talent alone does not put you in the same conversation as Cristiano Ronaldo. One good season, a few good performances, or a promising future does not erase twenty years of excellence and sacrifice.
What exactly is the comparison here? Records? Trophies? Goals? Leadership? Longevity? Influence on the game? In every category, the gap is enormous.
Young players today should be learning from legends, not trying to place themselves beside them before they have earned that right. Respect is one of the most important values in football, and statements like this show a lack of understanding of what Ronaldo has done for the sport.
If those comments are real, then João Neves should quickly come out and clarify them because there is a huge difference between being a talented footballer and being Cristiano Ronaldo. Football has seen many great young players come and go, but very few have reached the level of Ronaldo.
You don't become Cristiano Ronaldo by talking. You become Cristiano Ronaldo by proving it every single season for twenty years. Until then, there is a difference — and a very big one."
🚨Cristiano Ronaldo responds to people telling Roberto Martínez to sub him off after Portugal’s shocking 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener:
🗣️ “I’ve heard the noise. I’ve seen people saying I should have been substituted, people saying I shouldn’t be starting, people saying I’m the problem. That’s football. When Portugal wins, we win together. When Portugal doesn’t win, suddenly everybody wants to point at one player. I have lived with that for most of my career, so it doesn’t bother me anymore.
What matters is the team. We didn’t get the result we wanted tonight, and every player on that pitch has to take responsibility for that. Not just me, all of us. I am the captain of this team. My job is not only to score goals. My job is to lead, fight, and help this group stay united when things become difficult.
People are free to have opinions, but opinions do not decide matches. Performances do. I promise you this team will respond. The World Cup is not won in the first game. I have played in enough tournaments to know that. The important thing now is how we react.
I will never stop fighting for Portugal. Not because it is easy, but because representing this country means everything to me. The criticism can continue. The work will continue too.”
{@FabrizioRomano }