The name Ronaldo continues to shine with Portugal.
Although Cristiano Ronaldo officially announced his retirement from the Portugal national team, his legacy lives on, as his eldest son made his first minutes with the Portuguese under-17 team this Thursday in a commanding 4-0 win over Andorra.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. was included in the 23-player squad to play the first qualifying round toward the 2027 Under-17 European Championship last Nov. 2.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. Plays First Minutes for Portugal U17 After Father’s Exit
His call-up came just a couple of days before his father announced the end of his time with the senior national team after a 23-year career, in which he left a record of 146 goals in 234 international matches.
The son of the historic Portuguese forward had already achieved outstanding results with the youth national teams.
With the under-15 team, he scored a brace in the final of a tournament his team won. Later, with the under-16 team, the youngster took part in two competitions and recorded three goals in nine matches.
The forward from Al Nassr’s youth divisions came on in the 73rd minute, when the home side had already put the match away.
Portugal’s goals came from Diego Farinha (Sporting CP) with a brace, Kauã Miranda (Santos) from the penalty spot, and Rafael Cabral (SC Braga).
At 16, Ronaldo Jr. came close to sealing a dream debut by creating a clear chance late in the match, although his header went wide.
Despite not scoring in his first minutes with the Portuguese team, the forward will still have the chance to score his first goal with the under-17 team, as he has a couple more matches to put his name on the scoresheet.
The Portuguese side and the young forward will continue their path in the Portuguese capital this Saturday against Bulgaria, and will then close their series of matches in Lisbon on Nov. 17 against Serbia.
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