According to reports, scouts from ten European teams went to see Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. make his debut for Portugal’s Under-15 team on Tuesday night. When the Al-Nassr kid came off the bench in his country’s 4-1 triumph against Japan, football fans from all around the world were watching him closely to see if he would follow in his famed father’s footsteps.
Early flashes of flair and promise from Cristiano dos Santos, wearing the iconic No. 7 shirt—the same number his father made famous at teams like Manchester United and Real Madrid—were enough to spark conversation on social media and even lead to the release of a compilation of match highlights that featured every touch and movement he made. See the highlights of his entire match below:
However, fans and highlight reels haven’t been the only sources of the excitement. In order to determine whether Ronaldo Jr. could be more than simply a well-known name and possibly more like the next football dynasty hero, scouts from ten prominent European clubs were there, according to The Sun.
The Top Ten Teams That Sent Scouts to See Ronaldo Ronaldo Jr.
Those eager to see him included Manchester United and Tottenham.
Ronaldo Jr. spent 14 months at Man United’s academy, so they will already be familiar with his attributes. The young player, who could start in one of Portugal’s remaining games against Greece or England under Vlatko Markovic’s guidance, will have the scout’s report added to Ruben Amorim’s staff file.
However, as anticipated, other teams are also interested in the young player besides the Europa League finalists. Tottenham, their opponents in the San Mames Stadium on Wednesday, is also closely monitoring his progress.
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim, Red Bull Salzburg, Inter Milan, Juventus, and Atalanta also dispatched scouts to cover the match, according to the Croatian publication Sportske Novosti. But the night’s biggest impression wasn’t from the son of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Rafael Cabral, a forward for Braga, scored a hat-trick before his well-known teammate ever took the pitch. Having scored 13 goals this season, he leads his team in goals scored.
The two Portuguese talents still have a few years to establish themselves to the world, especially because Ronaldo’s son is just one month away from turning fifteen. However, stealing Cristiano Jr.’s thunder could help him land a spot in senior football.
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