Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. has earned his maiden call-up to the Portugal Under-17 national team, taking another significant step in his young international career and following in the footsteps of his legendary father.
The 16-year-old forward has been named in head coach Filipe Ramos’ 23-member squad for the first round of the 2027 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers.
The call-up, announced by the Portuguese Football Federation on November 2, marks Ronaldo Jr.’s first selection at U-17 level. He has previously represented Portugal at U-15 and U-16 levels and will now get an opportunity to make his mark in a higher age group.
Currently part of the Al Nassr youth setup in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Jr. is popularly known as ‘Cristianinho’. His progression through Portugal’s youth teams has attracted considerable attention, given the remarkable career of his father, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr’s Portugal Career So Far
Ronaldo Jr. made his international debut for Portugal at U-15 level in May 2025. He has since represented the country at two youth levels, making four appearances for the U-15 side and nine for the U-16 team.
Across those 13 appearances, he has scored five goals — two at U-15 level and three at U-16 level. He has also made a promising start to the current season at club level, scoring three goals in seven matches for Al Nassr’s youth team, according to Portuguese reports.
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🚨🇵🇹 OFFICIAL: Cristiano Ronaldo Jr has been called up by Portugal U17 for the first time. https://t.co/EM3JXTZ9wM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 3, 2026
The latest selection represents another step in his development, although he will first need to earn his debut in the age group.
Portugal U-17 Squad For European Championship Qualifiers: Full List
Head coach Filipe Ramos has selected 23 players for Portugal’s opening round of qualification. Ronaldo Jr. is the only representative from Al Nassr in the squad.
Full Squad
Al Nassr: Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
Benfica: Afonso Baldé, Gonçalo Silva, Guilherme Castro, Miguel Varanda, Simão Lopes, Tomás Pedrosa
FC Porto: António Pereira, Gonçalo Fontes, João Lopes, Salvador Ribeiro, Salvador Valente
Sporting CP: Diego Farinha, Leonardo Damião, Victor Bastianele
SC Braga: André Marques, Carlos Moita, João Maia, Rafael Cabral
Vitória SC: Francisco Costa, Tiago Amorim
Santos: Kauã Miranda
TSG Hoffenheim: Nickolas Andrade
Portugal U-17 Fixtures: Dates And Opponents
Portugal will begin their European Under-17 Championship qualifying campaign against Andorra on November 11. They will then face Bulgaria on November 14 before taking on Serbia on November 17.
All three matches will be played at the Portuguese Football Federation’s training centre, Cidade do Futebol, in Oeiras. The team’s training camp is scheduled to run from November 6 to 17.
Portugal are in Group 6 and must finish among the top two teams to progress to the second round of qualification.
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Portugal U-17 Qualifying Fixtures
| Date | Match |
|---|---|
| November 11, 2026 | Portugal vs Andorra |
| November 14, 2026 | Portugal vs Bulgaria |
| November 17, 2026 | Portugal vs Serbia |
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Son Continues Family Football Legacy
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.’s progress through Portugal’s youth ranks inevitably draws comparisons with his father, who remains one of the most decorated footballers in the history of the game.
The senior Ronaldo has enjoyed a celebrated international career with Portugal, winning the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and two UEFA Nations League titles. He is also the country's all-time leading goalscorer.