Omotayo Adigun
Cristiano dos Santos, the 14-year-old eldest son of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, has received his inaugural call-up to the Portugal Under-15 national squad, announced on Tuesday.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Cristiano Jr. currently plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, the same club where his legendary father plies his trade. Prior to his move to Saudi Arabia, the promising young player also had stints with the youth academies of two of Cristiano Ronaldo’s former clubs: Manchester United and Juventus.
The Portugal Under-15 team, known as the Selecao Under-15s, is set to participate in the prestigious Vlatko Markovic youth tournament in Croatia. The tournament, scheduled to take place between May 13th and 18th, will see the Portuguese youngsters compete against formidable international youth sides from Japan, Greece, and England.
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Cristiano Ronaldo, who at the age of 40 remains an active international for Portugal and is Real Madrid’s all-time leading goal scorer, has five children. His eldest son’s progression into the national youth setup marks a significant step in the young player’s burgeoning football career, drawing inevitable comparisons to his iconic father.
Cristiano Jr.’s call-up to the Under-15 squad signifies the potential continuation of the Ronaldo legacy in Portuguese football and will undoubtedly be closely watched by fans and scouts alike as he embarks on his international youth career.