Cristiano Jr. Follows in His Father’s Footsteps

Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., 14, made his first appearance with the Portugal U-15 national team on Tuesday during the Vlatko Markovic International Tournament held in Croatia. The son of the Portuguese icon came off the bench in the second half of the match against Japan, which ended in a dominant 4-1 victory for the young Seleção.

Wearing the iconic number ‘7’, just like his father, Cristiano Jr. entered the game in the 54th minute as a left winger—the same position Cristiano Ronaldo played at the start of his illustrious career. During his 26 minutes on the pitch, Portugal maintained control, with a hat trick from Rafael Cabral and a goal from Henrique Amen securing the win.

Nicknamed "Cristianinho", the young forward was warmly welcomed by his teammates and fans in attendance, many of whom are already viewing him as a promising talent for Portugal’s footballing future.

A Youth Career Across Europe

Currently, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. is part of the youth academy at Al Nassr, the Saudi Arabian club where his father plays. Before moving to the Middle East, he developed through the ranks at Manchester United in England and Juventus in Italy, impressing coaches and scouts along the way.

The Croatian tournament features strong U-15 national teams from across the world. Portugal’s next matches in Group B will be against Greece on Wednesday and England on Friday.

The young Ronaldo’s debut has already made headlines in Portugal and beyond, as fans closely track the journey of the player expected to carry forward one of the most iconic names in football history. While there’s still a long road ahead, his first game—wearing the legendary ‘7’ and contributing to a win—marks a symbolic beginning to his own path.

For now, Cristiano Jr. is starting to write his story, living under the shadow of greatness but showing he has the talent to build a name for himself.