Cristiano Ronaldo is in the twilight of his illustrious career as he travels to Japan with Al-Nassr for their pre-season tour. The Portuguese superstar, who turned 38 this February, might hang up his boots before fulfilling his son’s deepest wish.
Ronaldo revealed his son’s wish during his second stint at Manchester United, saying, “My son tells me, ‘Dad, hold on a few more years – I want to play with you”. Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. wants to follow in his dad’s footsteps to become a professional footballer and dreams of taking the field with his dad.
🗣 Cristiano Ronaldo: “My son often says to me, Dad hold on a few more years, I want to play with you” 🤩 pic.twitter.com/19JdTQBQdT
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) July 23, 2023
Ronaldo has previously talked about the possibility of his son following in his footsteps and becoming a professional soccer player. He discussed this topic in an interview with Chinese television channel Zhejiang Satellite.
Ronaldo said, “I want my son to be a player. I am a footballer and I want him to be one too. I think he has something of an athlete about him. He has athletic characteristics.”
Ronaldo Jr. is currently 12 years old and training with the Al-Nassr academy. It’s safe to assume that he might need 5 to 6 years to make his professional debut for any senior side. Ronaldo will be in his mid-40s at that time, which is a tough ask even for a player who keeps himself in top shape throughout the year.
There are only a few father-son duos that have played together in soccer. Former Barcelona player Eidur Gudjohnsen famously replaced his dad Arnor as a sub for Iceland. Henrik and Jordan Larsson played together for Hogaborg, and Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo and Rivaldinho for Mogi Mirim.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement date
Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement was highly discussed during his second stint at Manchester United. In September 2022, the Portuguese forward revealed that he hopes to represent Portugal at Euro 2024.
Ronaldo said during an interview, “I hope to be part of the [Portugal] Federation for a few more years. I still feel motivated; my ambition is high. I’m in a team with young people. I want to be part of this World Cup and the European too; I’m going to assume that right away.”
“I want to play 2-3 years more.”
Cristiano Ronaldo tells Piers Morgan he’d like to hang up his football boots at 40 – plus he denies being the reason Tom Brady came out of retirement.@cristiano | @piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #90MinutesWithRonaldo | #PMU pic.twitter.com/encoKB268p
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) November 17, 2022
Ronaldo also discussed his club career and retirement plans in November 2022 in an interview with Piers Morgan. He revealed, “I want to play two more years, three years more. So two or three years maximum. I want to finish at 40. I think 40 will be a good age… but I don’t know, I don’t know the future.”
Ronaldo currently has a contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr until 2025. He will be 40 when his deal with the Saudi side expires.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. trains with players above his age group
Ronaldo Jr. might not fulfill his wish to play with his dad on the big stage; however, based on current signs, he is surely on his way to becoming a professional soccer player.
It was reported that Ronaldo Jr. trained at the Mahd Academy, which is the national sports center in Saudi Arabia, with a year group two years above his age. The Mahd Academy is the center for elite Saudi sporting talent with kids given education across a range of sports.
Ronaldo Jr continues to follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the Mahd Academy in Saudi Arabia
After stops at Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United, the 12 -year- old is set to continue his soccer journey in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/s5WCGyGB48
— ekwutosblog (@ekwutosblog) January 15, 2023
Ronaldo Jr. moved from Manchester United academy to Saudi Arabia with his father, even though some suspected that he may return to rejoin Real Madrid’s academy. Instead, Ronaldo Jr. landed in Riyadh and has been making strong impressions among his peers.