Lamine Yamal steered Spain to the Nations League final, scoring two goals against France in his team's 5-4 win in the semifinal on Thursday. Spain will face their Iberian rivals, Portugal, in the final on Sunday in Munich. This will be the first face-off between Yamal and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Yamal is upbeat about the challenge as both Spain and Portugal chase their second Nations League crown. While Portugal won the inaugural edition of the tournament, Spain emerged as the champion in 2023.

As the stage is now set for a high-octane final with both Spain and Portugal in fiery form, Yamal is eager to prove himself on the big stage after winning Euro 2024. Portugal defeated Germany 2-1 in the semifinals to end their 25-year-long jinx.

On Thursday, after scoring his first goal from the penalty spot, Yamal (aged 17y 318d) became the youngest goal-scorer in the Nations League semifinals, surpassing the Netherlands’ Matthijs de Ligt (19y 298d).

"It is a special game; a final against a great team gives us extra motivation. This is the kind of game I want to play, to prove who I am," Yamal told reporters.

The match will be the first clash of two generational superstars as the teenaged Yamal faces the international arena’s greatest goal-scorer, Ronaldo, 23 years his senior.

Asked about the face-off against Ronaldo, Yamal said, "He is a football legend. I, like all the players, have huge respect for Cristiano." “I will do my job, which is to try to win, and that is it,” he added.

Meanwhile, Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente said fans would see “two super powerful teams” on Sunday, adding that the game “could be a World Cup final.”

“We’re playing against one of the greats: Cristiano Ronaldo. Just his name stands out — I have limitless admiration for him. It’s really great to see a player at his age keep playing and be as fit as he is. I admire him very much," he added. Ronaldo scored the winner in Portugal's 2-1 win over Germany.