Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son has received his first international call-up, being named in the Portugal Under-15s squad for an upcoming youth tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, aged 14, is currently based in Saudi Arabia where he plays for Al-Nassr's youth side, mirroring his father’s club career after the Portuguese great joined the Saudi Pro League outfit in December 2022.
The legendary forward, 40, shared a proud moment on social media, posting a picture of the squad list featuring his son's name along with the caption: "Proud of you, son."
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Ronaldo Jr has been selected to represent Portugal in a youth tournament taking place in Croatia between 13-18 May. Portugal are scheduled to face Japan, Greece, and England during the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo Sr, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, remains an active Portugal international with a record-breaking 136 goals for his country — the most by any male footballer in history. He famously captained Portugal to their first major tournament victory at Euro 2016, though he watched most of the final from the sidelines after suffering a 25th-minute injury. He later led the team to another trophy at the Nations League in 2019.
In March this year, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star scored but missed a penalty as Portugal edged past Denmark to reach the semi-finals of the Nations League.
The Al-Nassr forward is also father to four other children — twins Eva and Mateo, aged 7, Alana Martina, 7, and Bella, 3.
A Journey Across Football Academies
Ronaldo Jr’s football journey has mirrored his father's globe-trotting career, having featured in the youth academies of Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, and now Al-Nassr.
During his time with Juventus, reports suggest he scored an impressive 58 goals in a single season. He also briefly played alongside Kai Rooney — son of Wayne Rooney — during their fathers' overlapping stints at Manchester United.
Clips of the teenager recreating his father’s iconic ‘Siu’ celebration while playing for Al-Nassr have frequently gone viral on social media.
While Ronaldo Jr is now set to represent Portugal at youth level, he is also eligible to play for the United States — his country of birth — and potentially Spain, due to time spent living there during his father’s spell at Real Madrid.
Source: With inputs from BBC