Cristiano Ronaldo Jr made a surprising admission when asked to pick between Lamine Yamal and his dad but snubbed the Barcelona teenager in favour of the Real Madrid legend
RaKai tells Cristiano Ronaldo’s son, Cristiano Jr, that Lamine Yamal is a better football player than his dad
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr was asked who is better out of his dad and Lamine Yamal
(Image: X)
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr has brutally put down Lamine Yamal by saying the Barcelona sensation still has a long way to go before reaching his dad’s level. Ronaldo Sr, currently playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, is widely considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time.
The 40-year-old’s incredible career has seen him shatter countless records while playing for the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. He is currently closing in on becoming the first footballer ever to reach 1000 officially registered professional goals.
Yamal, meanwhile, is arguably the best and most exciting talent in the world right now, having lit up European football over the past few seasons with Barcelona and Spain.
The winger, who celebrated his 18th birthday in controversial fashion last week, is among the favourites to win his first Ballon d’Or this year – which Ronaldo has won five times.
Given Yamal’s recent heroics in La Liga, the Champions League and 2024 European Championships, it is understandable that many younger fans consider him a better player than the veteran Ronaldo, who is now considered past his peak.
That view was clear to see in a recent Twitch stream with American creator 2xRaKai, who was travelling in a car with 15-year-old Ronaldo Jr. During the stream, the teenager was asked to name his favourite footballer of all time, to which he instantly replied: “My dad.”
Lamine Yamal celebrates
Lamine Yamal is considered one of the best footballers in the world at this moment in time
The streamer then took a swipe at Ronaldo Jr by stating Yamal was better than his dad. The Portuguese legend’s son agreed based on their current ability but made it clear that Yamal is still a long way off matching Ronaldo’s stellar career.
He replied: "Right now? Yes, but Lamine hasn’t won anything yet. He’s very good, but he still hasn’t won anything."
Despite Ronaldo Jr's claims, Yamal enjoyed a highly successful 2024/25 season, winning a domestic treble of La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey. He also won Euro 2024 with Spain last summer.
He scored 18 goals and assisted a further 25 in 55 appearances in all competitions last season, while Ronaldo had scored only five goals in 19 Sporting CP appearances at the same age.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal compete for the ball during the Nations League final
Cristiano Ronaldo's career means he is often regarded as one of the top two players of all time
But while he has no shortage of talent, he would have to continue his current trajectory over the next decade and beyond to match Ronaldo’s legacy and long list of accolades, which include five Champions League trophies and being the all-time leading goal-scorer in international football.
Ronaldo also came out on top when he met Yamal in the 2025 Nations League final clash between Spain and Portugal last month, scoring in a 2-2 draw which Portugal won on penalties.
Yamal is much closer in age to Ronaldo Jr than the footballing legend himself and there is a chance that the two teenagers could share the field in the future.
Ronaldo Jr is an aspiring professional footballer in his own right, currently playing in Al-Nassr’s youth academy. He previously trained with Juventus, Manchester United and Real Madrid during his father’s time with each club.
The youngster was born in the United States and was also able to represent Spain but decided to play for Portugal at youth level, following in his dad’s footsteps. He made his debut for Portugal’s Under-15s against Japan in May and scored his first two goals against Croatia just days later.
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