Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. makes Portugal U16 debut, scores vs Wales

Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., the 15-year-old son of Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, made his debut for Portugal's under-16 team on Thursday, entering as a stoppage-time substitute in a 2-0 win over Turkey in the Federations Cup tournament in Turkey. The match, played in Antalya, saw Portugal open the scoring through Samuel Tavares and add a second from Rafael Cabral before Ronaldo Jr. was introduced late to complete his first appearance at U16 level.

Ronaldo Jr., who plays as a forward in the youth academy of Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, had previously represented Portugal at under-15 level and scored for that age group earlier this year. Portugal’s U16 squad will remain in Turkey for two more fixtures in the tournament, facing Wales and England, and team staff have indicated they plan to integrate the teenager gradually into the group.

In the team’s next game, against Wales, Ronaldo Jr. scored his first goal at U16 level. The strike, described by observers as a composed first-time finish into the bottom corner during a Portuguese counterattack, drew attention on social media and was shared by his father on Instagram with three fire emojis. Portuguese outlets and coaching staff noted...