Ronaldo Jnr. earns first Portugal U17 call-up, could meet father at training ground

Cristiano Ronaldo Jnr. has received his first call-up to Portugal’s Under-17 team, raising the possibility of meeting his father, Cristiano Ronaldo, at the national team’s training base during the November international window.

According to ESPN, the 16-year-old Al Nassr academy forward has been named in Filipe Ramos’ 23-man squad for the 2027 European Under-17 Championship qualifying matches, having previously represented Portugal at U15 and U16 levels.

The Portuguese footballing icon’s son, known popularly as “Cristianinho” (which translates to “Little Cristiano” in Portuguese), has previously represented the national side in the U-15 and U-16 levels since his debut in May 2025, making 13 appearances across both age group and scoring five goals.

Portugal’s U17 team will play Andorra on November 11, Bulgaria on November 14 and Serbia on November 17, with all three matches scheduled to take place at the Portuguese Football Federation’s Cidade do Futebol training complex in Oeiras, near Lisbon. The team’s training camp is also scheduled to run at the facility from November 6 to 17.

His father could also be at the same training base if he is included in Portugal’s senior squad for the upcoming international fixtures against Denmark on November 14 and Wales on November 17.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo’s participation remains uncertain following reports that he was handed a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese Football Federation after leaving the national team camp during last month’s Nations League campaign.

The 41-year-old remains Portugal’s all-time leading scorer in men’s international football, with 143 goals in 225 appearances.

Ronaldo Jnr.’s maiden U17 call-up marks another step in his progression through Portugal’s youth national teams as he continues his development at Al Nassr’s academy.

His father, meanwhile, is closing in on the 1,000-goal career milestone, having scored 985 goals. He recently netted a hat-trick for Al Nassr.

In the past, Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken well about his son. At the Globe Soccer Awards in December 2020, he shared how his son’s diet and habits sometimes frustrated him, noting that the young boy liked drinking soda and eating crisps or fries even though

he had great athletic potential.

Ronaldo said: “We’ll see if he’ll be a great player. He’s not yet. Sometimes he drinks coke, he eats fries and he knows I get mad. I tell him to treadmill and then dive into cold water to recover, and he says: “Dad, but it’s so cold.” It’s normal because he’s young.

He has potential. He is fast, he dribbles well, but that’s not enough. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. I’m not going to pressure him to be a player. However, I especially want him to be the best, whether he’s a footballer or a doctor.”