3 min readNov 3, 2026 10:29 AM ISTCristiano Ronaldo Jr has been called up to the Portugal U-17 team for the first time. (X)Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son, Cristiano Jr., earned his maiden call up to the Portugal U-17 side on Monday.The Portuguese footballing icon’s son, known popularly as “Cristianinho”, has previously represented the national side in the U-15 and U-16 levels since his debut in May 2025. In 13 appearances across both age groups, he struck five goals. Like his father, Cristiano Jr. represents Saudi football club Al Nassr at the Youth level.Portugal will kick off their European Under-17 Championship qualifying campaign against Andorra on November 11.They will then take on Bulgaria on November 14, followed by Serbia on November 17. All three fixtures will be held at the Portuguese Football Federation’s training centre in Oeiras. Portugal must finish among the top two teams in their group to progress to the next stage of qualification.In the past, Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken about his son. “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.”The 16-year-old’s call-up comes at a time when his legendary father found himself at crossroads with the Portugal national side after a brief fallout with coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo’s walk out from the Portugal team camp during the Nations League fixtures was sparked by Jesus not playing him in the game against Norway on September 27 after he played in the opening win over Wales. After walking out, Ronaldo had unleashed an extraordinary tirade against coach Jesus, accusing him of breaking an agreement to play him. Despite Ronaldo’s absence, Portugal beat Denmark and Norway again to qualify for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations Cup.Ronaldo is expected to be available for Portugal’s next Nations League match on November 14 against Denmark. That is if Portugal coach Jorge Jesus decides to give him a run out on the pitch, even as a substitute.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd Tags:cristiano ronaldoAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogCyclone Murasu LIVE Updates: Cyclone Murasu uproots trees, damages electric poles across coastal Andhra8 minutes agoIndia News Live Updates, 3 November 2026: 3 jawans injured in mob assault in Tripura-Bangladesh village, 8 arrested14 minutes agoUS Midterm Elections 2026 Live Updates: Trump says he’ll ‘veto everything’ if Democrats gain control of Congress in midterms14 minutes agoDelhi Protests Case Hearing in Supreme Court LIVE: Pleas alleging detention, assault20 minutes agoJailer 2 Box Office Collection Day 19 Live Updates: Rajinikanth film sells over 3 crore tickets in India, earns Rs 812 cr worldwide32 minutes agoAdvertisement