Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has praised Spanish ‘phenomenon’ Lamine Yamal and urged the media to give him room to improve and not put pressure on him.

Ronaldo and Yamal squared off in the final of the UEFA Nations League, with Portugal coming out 5-3 winners over Spain in a penalty shootout to lift the final in Munich.

The 17-year-old has had a phenomenal campaign with Barcelona, in which he scored 18 goals and registered 25 assists in 55 matches across all competitions.

The Spanish starlet went on to win the treble with Barca after claiming the La Liga title, Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España.

Ronaldo has since come to the defence of the young superstar, stating he has enough time to grow and will have the opportunities to win many titles in his future.

“He’s going to win a lot of titles, both collective and individual,” Ronaldo told reporters.

“He’s only 17 years old… I repeat: he’s a kid with a lot of room for improvement.

“He’s a phenomenon, but we have to leave him alone, that’s what I ask. He has a very long career ahead of him and will surely win the Nations League many times.”