De la Fuente rejects ‘bitter’ Ronaldo farewell and offers Yamal advice

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has dismissed the idea that Cristiano Ronaldo’s international career ended on a bitter note and urged Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal to keep developing if he is to become a football legend.

Speaking to Spanish news agency EFE, De la Fuente praised Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for their contribution to world football, describing the pair as examples in terms of performance, behaviour and sportsmanship.

“I am one of their biggest admirers, particularly because of the values and principles they brought to sport and society,” he said. “They were examples to follow in football.”

De la Fuente added: “They achieved everything, but continued wanting to win, one at the age of 39 and the other at 41. They were models of performance, behaviour and sportsmanship.”

Asked whether Ronaldo’s international farewell had been tarnished by tension with manager Jorge Jesus and his departure from the Portugal camp during the previous international break, De la Fuente replied: “No, absolutely not.”

The Spain manager believes Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid forward, and Yamal can become the leading figures of the next generation after Messi and Ronaldo.

“They will create an era in football, I am sure of that,” he said.

De la Fuente said the sport would benefit from having several major stars rather than a single figurehead. “It is very good for football that there is not only one star who represents the reference point for everyone,” he added. “There should be two or three players who inspire people, create excitement and embody the essence of sport – competition, which must always remain healthy.”

On Yamal, De la Fuente said the teenager showed maturity beyond his years but still needed support and protection from the pressure surrounding him.

“He is very mature for his age, but he needs us to support him, like any young person of his age who is still developing,” he said. “In private settings he shows the maturity I am talking about, but he also needs to protect and defend himself away from those settings, against everything around him.”

De la Fuente added that Yamal had coped remarkably well with intense media attention since he was 16. “I admire him, because being 19 and dealing with the media pressure he has faced since he was 16 is not easy at all,” he said. “It is very difficult, but he handles it with incredible naturalness.”

His advice was simple: “He must continue growing, developing and working in the way he is now. If he does that, every door will remain open for him to become a legendary footballer.”

The 65-year-old will make his first appearance since receiving the world’s best manager award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on 26 October when Spain face Czechia in Prague on Thursday, 12 November 2026. He renewed his contract with Spain until 2032 at the end of September.

De la Fuente said he was proud of the award, but would have felt the same pride merely from being nominated. “I am happy, but I am not someone with many dreams. I set goals and move towards them step by step,” he said. “What makes me happiest is that this is not an individual honour, but a collective one,” he added, praising his coaching staff.

Spain are unbeaten in 42 matches since March 2024, a run De la Fuente called “crazy” and “incredible”. He said the team’s ambition was to improve from one game to the next, warning that any relaxation could be punished, particularly in international football.

He said Spain’s recent success – including winning their second World Cup title last summer, age-group achievements and players’ individual awards – had prompted both envy and curiosity. “The secret is simple: invest in development and coaching,” he said.