Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. Makes Portugal U17 Debut One Week After His Father's National Team Retirement

Some debuts come and go without much notice, and others carry a surname that changes everything. Thursday's in Lisbon was the latter: Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. took the field for the first time with Portugal's U17 side, in a Euro qualifier against Andorra.

The result was already settled by the time the Al Nassr academy forward entered in the 73rd minute. Portugal was cruising, up 4-0, thanks to a brace from Diego Farinha (Sporting CP), a penalty from Kauã Miranda (Santos FC), and another goal from Rafael Cabral (Braga) in the 60th minute. In other words, Ronaldo Jr. walked into a match that was already decided, but he still wanted to leave his mark.

And he came close. At 16 years old, the young attacker had a clear chance to score his first goal for the national team in the closing minutes, but his header sailed just wide. There was no celebration, but there was a clear sense that the chance had come at just the right moment for him to start building a name of his own on the field.

What stands out is the timing of this debut. It comes barely a week after his father, Cristiano Ronaldo, announced the end of his career with Portugal's senior national team, closing out 23 years in the national jersey and leaving behind a record of 146 goals in 234 appearances, a historic mark for any national team in the world. As one door closes, another opens: the son is starting out right where the father left a legacy impossible to ignore.

For Ronaldo Jr., the schedule keeps moving. Portugal's U17 side continues its qualifying campaign with its next match this Saturday against Bulgaria, also in Lisbon. After that comes a matchup against Serbia, set for November 17, once again on Lisbon soil. Two more matches to keep racking up minutes and, who knows, perhaps his first goal celebration with his country's team.