In a way, a dream and a wish.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. was named to the Portugal Under-15 (U-15) national team roster announced on the 6th (Korea time).
Ronaldo Jr. was born on June 17, 2010, in San Diego, California, USA. As Ronaldo's eldest son, he is growing as a football player while traveling around the world with his father.
He began his career in 2016 with the youth team of Real Madrid in Spain's La Liga, and has played for Juventus in Italy's Serie A and Manchester United in the English Premier League, before joining the youth team of Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League in 2023.
Rumors suggest that one reason Ronaldo has not retired is to play alongside his son in the senior national team and to retire together. Ronaldo Jr. has consistently shown a threatening presence in youth competitions across various countries as he continues to grow. If Ronaldo can hold on a bit longer, it is entirely possible for the father-son duo to play for the national team together.
Ronaldo has played 219 matches for the Portugal national team, scoring 136 goals. Notably, he secured a goal against Denmark in the A match last March, confirming the team's place in the semifinals of the upcoming Nations League (UNL).
Ronaldo has already indicated plans to participate in the next North and Central American World Cup. Given the few remaining records, playing alongside his son could serve as a significant motivation.
In basketball, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers has fulfilled his dream of playing alongside his son Bronny James on the same team. Although there is still a significant age gap in football, a joint appearance of Ronaldo and his son is also a possibility.
And with this first journey, Ronaldo Jr. has succeeded in making his debut in the age-specific national team. The Portugal U-15 national team will clash with Japan, Greece, and Ireland at the Blatko Markovic International Tournament in Croatia from the 13th to the 18th.
As a member of this national team, Ronaldo Jr. will wear the national team's jersey for the first time. It will be interesting to see whether Ronaldo and Ronaldo Jr. can both wear the Portugal national team jersey and play together.
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