Cristiano Jr makes Portugal U17 debut — Cristiano Ronaldo not in the stands

Cristiano Jr, a 16-year-old forward from the Al Nassr youth academy, made his debut for Portugal's under-17s as the team opened their European Championship qualifying campaign with a 4-0 win over Andorra in Oeiras.

Entered late, came close with a header

Head coach Filipe Ramos left him on the bench at kickoff and brought him on in the 73rd minute. Wearing the number 18 shirt, Cristiano Jr played the final phase of an already-decided match and nearly marked his first appearance with a goal — in the 88th minute he headed toward goal but the ball ran just past the post.

The scoring had been completed before his introduction: Diego Fariño netted twice, while Kaua Miranda and Rafael Cabral added one goal each to seal the 4-0 victory.

Despite the family interest, Cristiano Ronaldo was not present in the stands for his son's Portugal U17 debut; the reason for his absence has not been publicly confirmed. Several members of the senior national squad, however, did attend — Vitinha, Rúben Neves, Gonçalo Ramos and João Félix watched the match, since Portugal's first team had been training at the same Cidade do Futebol complex earlier that day. The senior side had a training session scheduled for 17:00, and the youth match kicked off about two hours before that.

Members of Cristiano Jr's family were at the stadium: his grandmother Dolores Aveiro and his aunt Elma. Elma announced her arrival on social media and wrote, "this time they are watching the son instead of the father."

The timing added another layer of significance: Cristiano Jr's debut for the U17s came just one week after Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on November 5, while the young forward stepped onto the national stage on November 12, 2026.

The entire Portugal setup will now turn focus to the qualifiers for the 2027 European Championship, with the younger generations working their way through the national ranks.

Photo: printscreen