Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son is starting to follow in his father’s footsteps after receiving an international call-up from Portugal’s youth team to play in a tournament later this month.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s son has taken another step towards following in his father’s footsteps by being called up to Portugal’s Under-16 squad for the first time. The 15-year-old, who plays at Al Nasr’s academy, is included in the 22-player squad.
Portugal will play teams from Turkey, Wales and England in the Federations Cup tournament from October 30th to November 4th. With this call-up, Ronaldo Junior moves up one age group after making his U15 debut in May.
He made his first appearance in the 4-1 win over Japan and was congratulated by his father as he took a bow during the international match. The winger, known as Cristianinho in Portugal, came off the bench for the U-15 national team at the Vlatko Markovic International Tournament in Croatia.
“Congratulations on your debut for Portugal, son. I’m so proud of you,” Ronaldo Sr. said on Instagram at the time.
The youngster has already worn his father’s famous number 7 shirt during his international career, appearing on the pitch in front of Manchester United scouts in Croatia. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim, Red Bull Salzburg, Inter Milan, Juventus, Atalanta and Tottenham were said to be participating in the youth tournament.
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Cristianinho is developing well and, if his abilities allow, he will have the opportunity to represent Portugal or even more at the top level. The teenager is eligible to play for two other teams.
With his father’s travels around the world, the young man has many possibilities. An international career in Portugal, Spain or the United States could await.
Cristianino played for Juventus and Manchester United’s youth teams before moving to the Middle East and following his father around the world. Ronaldo’s eldest son is said to have trained at the Mahad Academy in 2023, two years above his peers, and there are reports that he could have returned to Real Madrid.
The youth international is one of five children, fathered by Ronaldo and twins Eva and Mateo (7 years old), Alana Martina (7 years old) and Vera (3 years old).
Cristaniño has only just begun his feat, while Ronaldo began it more than 20 years ago. The 18-year-old football icon made his debut for the Selecao Under-15s in 2001 before making his debut as a substitute against Kazakhstan in August 2003, two years later.
Next summer, Portugal will play against the United States, Canada and Mexico as they look to make their sixth World Cup appearance. During that time, Ronaldo played in 225 matches and scored 143 goals.
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