Video: Lamine Yamal attracts attention with his behavior towards Ronaldo

Spain star Lamine Yamal drew attention for his behavior towards Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo after the two teams met each other in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Spain qualified for the quarter-finals, defeating Portugal thanks to an unanswered goal from Mikel Merino at the opponent’s roof, so that the Portuguese national team will be eliminated from the tournament.

After the final whistle, Ronaldo appeared to be affected by his country’s departure and showed signs of sadness on the pitch as he missed out on the chance to challenge for the World Cup title forever, declaring the ongoing World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico the last of his international career.

Lamine Yamal walked up to the Portuguese star, shook his hand and then hugged him in a humanitarian gesture that received widespread attention as an expression of his support and sympathy after Portugal’s journey in the tournament ended.

The shot has been widely reacted to on social media, with fans praising the Spain star’s attitude towards the Portugal captain.

One of the fans wrote on X. “My heart is broken, he is a legend and this is his last World Cup.”

Another added: “When the best meet the future of the game, the whole world is watching. We may have witnessed the beginning of a new legend.”

While a third fan briefly commented: “The torch has passed.” Another user stressed that “being athletic remains the most important thing,” according to the site Yahoo Sports:.

One fan also pointed out the generation gap between the two stars, saying: “The passing of the baton becomes even more exciting when you realize that Ronaldo played his first World Cup match before Lamine Yamal was born.”

The Spanish national team is preparing for a strong showdown against Belgium in the quarter-finals, as Romelu Lukaku’s teammates beat the American team 4-1 on Tuesday morning.