Cristiano Ronaldo Junior called up to Portugal's U-17 squad for Euro qualifiers

The squad announcement

Portugal's football federation named a 23-man squad on Monday, 2 November, for the first round of qualifying for the U-17 European Championship. Coach Filipe Ramos selected the group, which includes 16-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo Junior, son of Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner who is 41. The younger player is a winger and is nicknamed 'Cristianinho' in Portugal, according to TVP. He is part of the youth academy of Saudi club Al-Nassr, where his father also plays. SAPO published its report on the evening of Monday, and Telegraaf describes this as his first call-up at U-17 level, following earlier selections for the U-15 and U-16 teams.

Fixtures and squad

Portugal's group opens against Andorra on 11 November, followed by Bulgaria on 14 November and Serbia on 17 November. TVP reports that all three matches will be played at the federation's training centre in Oeiras, near Lisbon. SAPO says the squad gathers at the Cidade do Futebol from 6 to 17 November and that the games take place at the federation's headquarters. The two best teams in the group advance to the next qualifying round. The squad draws players from eight clubs, including FC Porto, Benfica, Sporting and SC Braga, along with Al Nassr, Santos, Hoffenheim and V. Guimarães. SAPO gives his full name as Cristiano dos Santos Júnior and lists him as the only Al Nassr player in the squad. Telegraaf names Denmark rather than Bulgaria as the 14 November opponent, while TVP and both SAPO reports name Bulgaria.

Youth international record

Ronaldo Junior first joined a Portugal youth squad in May 2025, when he was named to the U-15 team for a tournament in Croatia. According to TVP, he has played 13 youth internationals and scored five goals. Four of those matches were for the U-15 side, where he scored twice, and nine were for the U-16 side, where he scored three times. This season at Al-Nassr he has scored three goals in seven matches. Before joining Al-Nassr, he trained at the academies of Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United, the clubs where his father also played.

U-152

U-163

U-15

2 goals

U-16

3 goals

Data from the article text

What comes next

TVP notes that the call-up does not by itself guarantee a debut at U-17 level. Telegraaf suggests he could make his debut in the qualifiers later this month. SAPO says fans and the sports press are watching closely to see whether he lives up to the expectations created by his family's link to elite football. Telegraaf also describes him as one of the most noticed talents in the Al-Nassr youth system. The 41-year-old father, according to TVP, remains one of the most decorated players in football history.