Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed his pride in his son Cristiano Jr after the youngster made his debut for the Portugal U15 team in Croatia. The 14-year-old came off the bench as the Portugal U15 team claimed a convincing win over Japan in their opening game of the tournament. The young Selecao won 4-1, with Rafael Cabral grabbing the headlines with a hat-trick.
The older Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media to celebrate his son’s international debut, expressing his pride. He congratulated the youngster, who sported his iconic number seven shirt in the game.
Cristiano Jr was accompanied to the tournament in Croatia by his grandmother Maria Dolores, and he was pictured with her after the game. She watched on from the sidelines with fans wearing her son’s Portugal shirt from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr is on the books of Al-Nassr’s academy and is the only player from outside Europe to be involved with the U15s this month. He will hope to feature in the other two games in the Vlatko Markovic tournament, with Greece and England lined up as opponents.
The 14-year-old is eligible to play for Portugal, USA, and Spain, and will decide on his international future in the coming years. He has played in the academies of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr, as well.
The senior Cristiano Ronaldo played nine games for the Portugal U-15 team in 2001 before rising through the ranks rapidly. He has since gone on to become the best international goalscorer in football history, scoring 136 goals in 219 appearances for his country.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence was not telling for his Al-Nassr side as they claimed a 9-0 win over Al-Akhdoud in their Saudi Pro League meeting. The Knights of Najd were without their influential captain but claimed a convincing win away from home.
Ronaldo was left out by manager Stefano Pioli due to a bit of fatigue, and Sadio Mane stepped up in his absence. The former Liverpool man scored four times in the game, with Jhon Duran also scoring twice. Ayman Yahya, Marcelo Brozovic, and Mohammed Maran were also on the scoresheet for Pioli’s side.
Ronaldo is in the final month of his contract with Al-Nassr, and the 40-year-old has enjoyed another successful season in front of goal. He leads the league’s goalscoring charts with 23 goals, two goals ahead of Karim Benzema and Abderrazak Hamdallah with three games to play.
Sulayman has a good feel for the game, which is reflected in his descriptive articles. He double checks information via multiple sources for accuracy, and only uses top-tier platforms like Transfermarkt and Opta for statistical information. His experience and exploits in the industry have led Sulayman to cover the Nigerian Professional League for three years along with games involving the Nigerian national team. He has also worked in F1, joining hands with industry veterans to provide a smooth viewing experience in Nigeria.
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