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Cristiano Ronaldo was a proud father after his eldest son made his debut for the Portugal Under-15 team.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. playing for Potugal (Instagram)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., has embarked on a new journey in international football. The 14-year-old made his debut for the Portugal Under-15 team on Tuesday, featuring in a 4-1 win over Japan in the Vlatko Markovic International Tournament, underway in Croatia. A proud dad, Ronaldo, was delighted to see his son in the Portugal shirt. He congratulated Ronaldo Jr via a social media post, which also featured some glimpses of the U-15 fixture. “Congratulations on your Portugal debut, son. Very proud of you,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner wrote in the caption.
Ronaldo Jr arrived at the pitch in the 53rd minute when Portugal U-15 had already established a comfortable 3-0 lead. Japan started off on a promising note and countered a flurry of attacks. Portugal missed several chances until Lourenco Fernandes broke the opposition defence with a brilliant pass, which left Rafael Cabral in a one-on-one situation. He successfully beat the keeper and helped Portugal take a lead early in the first half.
Only two minutes later, Cabral once again proved his striking skills to make it 2-0. When the play resumed in the second half, Japan appeared more dangerous and kept invading the Portuguese territory more often. Then came a twist as Cabral was fouled in the box and Portugal was awarded a penalty. Cabral scored from the spot to complete his hat-trick.
Henrique Amen, who was brought into the attack in the 72nd minute, struck moments after his debut as Portugal almost put the game to bed. A goal by Toa Fujisawa helped Japan reduce the deficit in the stoppage time.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo Jr, who plays for Al Nassr at the youth level, had his grandmother, Maria Dolores Aveiro, by his side in his first international outing. Despite going goalless, the teenager was able to demonstrate his talent and skills upfront. He previously trained at the Manchester United and Juventas academies as well.
Portugal U-15 will feature in three more games in the Vlatko Markovic International Tournament. They will clash against Greece on Wednesday before facing England on Friday. The opponents for their last game are yet to be decided.
- Location :
Lisbon, Portugal
- First Published:
