Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. has earned his maiden call-up to the Portugal Under-17 national team. The 16-year-old is now part of the Portugal squad selected by head coach Filipe Ramos for the upcoming UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers.
Popularly known as Cristianinho, the youngster has already represented Portugal at the U-15 and U-16 levels. He made his debut in 2025 and has since featured in 13 matches across the two age groups, scoring five goals. He has netted twice in four U-15 appearances and three times in nine outings for the U-16 side.
Like his father, Cristiano Jr. plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, representing the club’s youth team.
Cristiano Jr. to make his debut against Andorra
Portugal will begin their European Under-17 Championship qualifying campaign against Andorra on November 11. They will then face Bulgaria before taking on Serbia three days later. All three matches will be held at Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras, the Portuguese Football Federation’s training headquarters.
Portugal have been drawn in Group 6 alongside the three other nations. They will need to finish in the top two to qualify for League A in the second round of qualifying. The 2027 European Championship will be held in Latvia, with eight teams competing for the title.
Cristiano Ronaldo had previously praised his son’s dribbling ability and speed while speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai in December 2020. However, he stressed that talent alone would not guarantee success. Cristiano Jr.’s progress through the youth ranks has since attracted considerable attention.
“He has potential. He is fast, he dribbles well, but that’s not enough. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” Ronaldo said.
The five-time Ballon d’Or also made it clear that he would not pressure his son to become a professional footballer.
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Ronaldo Sr.’s Portugal return
Junior’s selection comes amid growing uncertainty over his father’s international future. Ronaldo left the national team camp in September after being left unused in the fixture against Norway, following a dispute with Portuguese head coach Jorge Jesus. The star accused the coach of going back on promises regarding his playing time.
The 41-year-old was subsequently handed a 30-day suspension and fined following the incident. However, he remains in contention for a return to the national team, when Portugal face Denmark on November 14 and Wales on November 17. Jesus is expected to announce the squad for the two fixtures on November 6.
