Cristiano Ronaldo has taken to social media to celebrate his son’s match-winning performance for Al-Nassr’s youth setup. The 16-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo Jr scored twice to guide the under-17 side to a 2-1 comeback victory against Al-Ahli Jeddah U17 on Sunday.
The match, hosted at Al-Nassr’s reserve stadium, started with Al-Ahli taking an early lead in the seventh minute. Marwan Abdullah Al Muwallad opened the scoring for the visitors, converting a header from a free-kick. However, Ronaldo Jr responded quickly, leveling the score just five minutes later with a spectacular solo effort. He gathered the ball just outside his own half, sprinted into open space, bypassed the advancing goalkeeper, and converted with composure.
The young forward completed his brace shortly before the halftime whistle. Utilizing his pace once more, Ronaldo Jr beat his defender and fired a shot from the edge of the penalty box to secure the victory. Following the match, his father shared videos of both goals on his Instagram story, adding star-struck and clapping emojis to express his pride.
Since making his debut with Al-Nassr’s U15 squad in 2023, Ronaldo Jr has progressed quickly and was promoted to the U17 division last summer. Despite securing the win on Sunday, Al-Nassr U17 still trail Al-Ahli in the Saudi U-17 Premier League standings, occupying ninth place while Al-Ahli sit in seventh.
Football fans have long hoped to see the five-time Ballon d’Or winner share a professional pitch with his eldest son before his retirement. However, a report from The Sun suggests that Ronaldo Jr might decline the chance to play alongside his father in Saudi Arabia, as the teenager is reportedly eager to pursue a future career in European football.
The Al-Nassr superstar has previously expressed high hopes for his son, noting during a training session in August that the teenager is physically stronger than he was at the same age and predicting he could become “bigger” than his father. Nonetheless, Ronaldo cautioned that physical strength alone is not enough, explaining that “hunger is the most difficult” trait to cultivate for long-term footballing success. The report also notes that ronaldo Jr, who started with Al-Nassr’s U15 in 2023, was the hero for the U17 team as they came from behind to defeat Al-Ahli at Al-Nassr’s reserve stadium. The report also notes that the outlet claimed the teenager is keen on a move to Europe.
