Nani is full of praise for Lamine Yamal, although he warns against elevating him to the altars of football.
Nani (38 years old, Portugal) is still capable of playing. He maintains a great figure, even though he hung up his boots at Estrela Amadora, his hometown club, almost a year ago. The winger, formerly of Valencia and Manchester United, among other teams, and Euro 2016 champion with Portugal, spoke to Diario AS during the Portugal Football Summit organized by the Portuguese Football Federation.
He looks in good shape. Could he play for Roberto Martínez's Portugal?
I've definitely forgotten that (laughs). They know how much the ball moves... But yes, I think I would really like to play for a national team that has that kind of ball control. It's fantastic to watch them play. How they play, how they run the ball, and how they keep it.
You were one of the first modern wingers. In Spain, we have Lamine Yamal. What do you think?
For me, Lamine Yamal is fantastic. He's pure talent. He has a great career ahead of him. He was nominated for the Ballon d'Or... everyone thought it would go to him. I think it's fair that he doesn't receive it yet, because he's a player we know will win. If he stays focused, if he maintains his dedication, if he goes through a normal process, he'll surely win his Ballon d'Ors.
Do you see him as the best in the world yet?
He'll be a very, very strong player worldwide and will help Spain win titles, as he has done before (Euro 2024). That's why he's a player I admire so much. Today, all the kids want to be like Lamine because they like the way he plays.
Lamine is at a superlative level, and at only 18 years old, do you think he'll achieve the success of Cristiano or Messi?
Messi and Cristiano?... We can't talk about that now, we can't do that, because we're destroying what we want him (Lamine) to become. We can't compare or compete with Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have done many things very well. The others who come after them, let them do their things too. And we'll applaud them. We can't compare. Much of what happens is that every year we compare. A good player comes out and we say, 'It's Cristiano.' Another comes out and... 'It's Messi.' And then what happens? I never saw them again. And why? Because pressure kills players. I prefer not to compare so as not to create false expectations for the kids.
Cristiano is close to 1,000 goals...
Everyone knew Cristiano when he was young. We soon realized this, as Cristiano was always a very developed player for his age. He's a year older than me, and I already knew him when he played for Nacional and I was at Sporting. Everyone already knew him. He didn't play with his own age, he played with older players, and what he did with the ball was fantastic. He was a very attractive player, and he was a player who inspired all the young players, because we saw what he did and what we wanted to do, and when I met him, I created a bond. He was a very different player from the others.
How long can Cristiano play?
I don't know. What I know is that he takes very good care of his body. And, to be honest, I don't know how long a human being can play football. But we've seen, I think, the Japanese or the Chinese have played until they're 50. I don't know if Cristiano wants to play at that level. I think he just wants to achieve his goals, because he probably wants to do something different after a few years. But until he plays, he'll do his best. And he'll definitely decide when to stop.
Portugal beat Spain in the Nations League. Can Roberto Martínez's Portugal become world champions?
There's excitement in Portugal, and we believe there's a chance of winning the World Cup. We know it's not just about having a player and his quality. The most important thing is in the moment of competition. When we won Euro 2016, that was our secret. The spirit and mentality of the group were there. That's why we won the European Championship. If Portugal goes to the World Cup with this mentality, we're already 50 percent there. There are players who are demonstrating an excellent level. We have some of the best players in the world in various positions. And I think it's a very talented national team, a fantastic generation.