AFCON 2025
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has backed his eldest son, Cristiano Jr., to potentially surpass him in football, revealing that the teenager is already physically ahead of where he was at the same age.
The 41-year-old made the comments in a video shared by Netflix Sports while watching his 16-year-old son train with the Al Nassr youth team.
According to Ronaldo, Cristiano Jr. is already bigger and stronger than he was at 16, and he believes his son could eventually grow beyond his own physical stature.
“He’s a good kid. The other ones are tougher, the ones at home, the small ones. This one is no problem,” Ronaldo said.
“When I was his age, he is a little bit bigger and stronger. I was smaller. I think he will be bigger than me.”
However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner stressed that physical development alone would not be enough to guarantee his son success at the highest level.
Ronaldo was also asked whether Cristiano Jr. could develop the same hunger and mentality that have driven his own extraordinary career.
The Portugal captain identified hunger as one of the hardest qualities to develop.
“Hunger is the most difficult,” he said.
Born on June 17, 2010, Cristiano Jr. currently plays for the Al Nassr youth team and continues to develop within the club’s system, following in the footsteps of his father.
Ronaldo has enjoyed one of the most decorated careers in football history, winning five Ballon d’Or awards, five UEFA Champions League titles and the European Championship with Portugal in 2016.
The veteran forward has also won league titles in England, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia and remains the leading goalscorer in men’s international football.
With Cristiano Jr. progressing through the Al Nassr academy, the spotlight will inevitably remain on the teenager and whether he can carve out an identity of his own in football.
For now, his legendary father believes the physical tools are already there, but Ronaldo knows better than most that talent, size and strength mean little without the hunger to succeed.
