🚨Lamine Yamal on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement from international football and his conversation with him: 🗣️Reporter: Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football. What was your reaction when you heard the news, considering how much you admire him? 🎙️Lamine Yamal: Honestly, it hurts. Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol, and I don’t think people understand just how much he means to me. I grew up watching him, celebrating his goals and studying the way he played. Even before I became a professional footballer, he was somebody I looked up to. When I heard the announcement, I immediately picked up my phone and called him. I didn’t want to just send him a message because I genuinely wanted to hear from him personally. When he answered, I started laughing and told him, ‘Cristiano, please tell me this is a joke. You’re really leaving Portugal?’ He laughed and replied, ‘Lamine, everything has its time. I’ve given my country everything I have, and sometimes you have to understand when it’s time to let the next generation take over.’ I told him that I wasn’t ready for it. I said, ‘But Cristiano, what about us? What about those of us who grew up watching you? I still want to see you wearing that Portugal shirt.’ He laughed again, but then his tone became a little more serious. He told me that I shouldn’t be sad because of what was ending, but grateful for everything that had happened. 🗣️Reporter: Did he say anything to you personally during the conversation? 🎙️Lamine: Yes, and that’s something I will never forget. He told me, ‘Lamine, one day you’ll understand. When I started playing football, I also had people I admired. But you cannot spend your entire career trying to become somebody else. You have to create your own story.’ I told him that I hoped I could achieve even half of what he had achieved, and he immediately stopped me. He said, ‘Don’t put limits on yourself. Work hard, stay humble and believe in your abilities. I want to see you become somebody special.’ Honestly, hearing those words from Cristiano meant everything to me. Before we ended the call, I told him that I hoped he would never forget the young players who grew up watching him. He replied that he would never forget where he came from. 🗣️Reporter: Would you say his retirement feels like the end of an era for you? 🎙️Lamine: Absolutely. It’s strange because Cristiano has always been there whenever I’ve watched international football. You grow up seeing somebody do something extraordinary for so many years, and you almost start believing that they will never stop. I know I’m a Barcelona player, and people might find it funny that I’m speaking this way about a Portuguese legend, but football has no club rivalry when it comes to inspiration. Cristiano Ronaldo inspired me before he even knew my name. I hope one day I can inspire another young boy the way he inspired me. For now, I just want to say thank you, Cristiano. You made millions of us fall in love with football, and I’ll always be one of those young boys who looked up to you. #lamineyamal #ronaldo #cristianoronaldo - @football_news857