How Cristiano Ronaldo’s son might choose to play for three different countries, including a surprising ‘unknown’ one, instead of Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo’s son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., has decided to play for Portugal, even though his dad is having a disagreement with the national team coach, Jorge Jesus. That said, he might still change his mind.
The tension started after Jorge Jesus didn’t put Ronaldo Sr. in the game during a recent UEFA Nations League match against Norway. After that, Ronaldo left the team’s camp and shared a strong statement saying the coach broke promises about his playing time. It’s unclear if they will make up before the next international break in November.
Despite all this, 16-year-old Cristiano Jr. has committed to Portugal, even though he could choose from several other countries. He plays as a right-footed left winger and is currently with Al-Nassr’s academy in Saudi Arabia. Before that, he was part of the youth teams at Juventus and Manchester United.
At the youth level, he has already played for Portugal’s Under-15 and Under-16 teams. But he’s also eligible to play for Spain because he lived there for over five years when his dad was at Real Madrid. He was born in California, so the US is also an option. There might even be a fourth country since his mother’s identity is private.
Interestingly, Spanish media say he has some Cape Verdean roots through his great-great-grandmother, but he doesn’t meet FIFA’s rules to play for that country.
Portuguese records show Cristiano Jr. has scored five goals in 13 games for Portugal’s youth teams. He made his debut in a 3-2 win over Croatia at a tournament last May.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo Sr. has an incredible record with Portugal’s senior team, scoring 146 goals in 234 games. He helped the team win their first major trophy at Euro 2016, along with more wins in the 2019 and 2025 Nations Leagues.
While some athletes don’t want their kids to follow in their footsteps, Ronaldo Sr. has said he really hopes his son becomes a professional footballer. In a 2018 interview, he talked about how competitive Cristiano Jr. is and said he reminds him of his younger self.
“He doesn’t like to lose and I’m sure he’ll be like me, 100%,” Ronaldo said. “I like teaching him things, but he’ll be whatever he wants and I’ll always support him. Of course, I want him to be a football player because he has the drive. He’s fast, skilled, and has a good shot. But he’s young and it’s his decision. I just dream to see my boy as a footballer.”