Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., the 14-year-old son of the world’s all-time leading international goalscorer, has earned his first selection for Portugal‘s Under-15 squad.
The announcement arrives ahead of the Vlatko Markovic International Tournament in Croatia, where Portugal will face Japan, Greece, England, and a fourth opponent between May 13 and 18.
From academy prodigy to national call-up
Born in 2010, Ronaldo Jr. has lived much of his life under the bright light of his father’s legend. But the teenager has begun charting his own course. After stints in the youth academies of Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United, he now captains Al Nassr’s youth team in Saudi Arabia — the same club where his father currently stars.
His performances there have been impossible to ignore. Now called up by U15 coach João Santos as part of a 22-player squad, Ronaldo Jr. moves one step closer to wearing the senior Portugal shirt his father has defined for over two decades.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, reacted with understated pride on Instagram, sharing an image of the official call-up list and writing, “Proud of you, son.”
It is a quietly poignant moment. Ronaldo Sr. has often spoken of his hope to one day share the pitch with his son. “I would like to play with my 14-year-old son, but we’ll see,” he said earlier this year. “It depends more on me than on him.”
Despite approaching the twilight of his career, the elder Ronaldo remains active for Portugal, having helped his country reach the Nations League semifinals with a dramatic win over Denmark in March.
The younger Ronaldo — affectionately nicknamed Cristianinho — now faces a defining challenge. He is eligible to represent the United States or Spain but has chosen, for now, his father’s path. Whether the two ever appear in the same national side remains uncertain. But this call-up marks more than a symbolic gesture. It signals the emergence of a player with both a name and a future worth watching.
