Cristiano Ronaldo’s son netted his first goal for Portugal’s Under-15 team on Sunday afternoon and marked the moment with a familiar celebration.
Representing his country in a youth match against Croatia, 14-year-old Ronaldo Jr. opened the scoring just 11 minutes into the contest.
His goal came after the ball deflected to him inside the penalty area, where he smashed it off the post and into the top corner.
He celebrated by mimicking his father’s iconic ‘SIU’ celebration, widely associated with Ronaldo Sr.’s many goal-scoring moments.
Following his strike, the young forward was swarmed by delighted teammates – and the day got even better as he grabbed a second before half-time.
That second goal came after Croatia had equalized, allowing Ronaldo Jr. to restore Portugal’s lead before the break.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s son celebrated just like his father after netting for Portugal’s U15s.
The youngster mimicked the famous ‘SIU’ celebration made iconic by the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo Jr.’s goals and celebration came just days after his debut appearance for the national youth team, having been named on the bench against Japan at the Vlatko Markovic international tournament in Croatia.
He came off the bench in the 54th minute during a match that saw Portugal secure a dominant 4-1 win.
After the game, his father – Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, now 40 – shared an emotional message with his son, praising his achievement as he continues to follow in his footsteps.
“Congratulations on your debut with @selecaoportugal, son. Very proud of you!” Ronaldo Sr. posted on X, along with pictures of his son during the game.
Wearing the iconic number seven jersey for his first appearance, Ronaldo Jr. followed in the footsteps of his father, who wore the same shirt at Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
Ronaldo Sr., who turned 40 in February, continues to play for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and has netted 33 goals in 39 matches this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. (pictured) made his Portugal U15 debut earlier this week on Tuesday.
The elder Ronaldo shared a touching tribute to his son on social media and has previously spoken of the dream of playing on the same team before he retires.
Ronaldo has said it would be a dream come true to share the pitch with his son, and the younger Ronaldo’s debut for the Under-15s has made that vision more plausible.
Ronaldo Sr. first played for Portugal’s senior team in 2003 at 18 years old and is expected to compete in his sixth World Cup next year.
With Ronaldo Jr. turning 15 next month, he may need to develop quickly to make that dream a reality.
Still, Tuesday’s appearance marked a proud moment and a promising step forward for the Ronaldo family.