Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez comments about Cristiano Ronaldo Jr's attitude after he makes debut for U15 national team

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has praised Cristiano Ronaldo Jr's attitude following his debut for the Under-15 national team. The 14-year-old recently made his international bow at the Vlatko Markovic International Tournament.

The youngster displayed an eye for goal and also impressed with his quick feet, attributes that he is likely to have inherited from his superstar father. It has been suggested that the 40-year-old could prolong his playing career so that he can share the pitch with his son one day.

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother was in attendance to see her grandson dazzle for the Portugal Under-15 team in Croatia. It is expected that the teenager will eventually follow in his father's footsteps to star for the national team.

Speaking to Sport TV, as cited by GOAL, Martinez insisted that it is important to give Cristiano Jr. space to realize his potential.

“It was very nice to see Cristiano Júnior's attitude and that is not easy when the media is watching an under-15 game. We have to give him space,” said Martinez.

Cristiano Ronaldo currently plies his trade for Al-Nassr, although his contract expires at the end of next month. Interestingly, his son is also on the Saudi club's books and plays for the youth side. Meanwhile, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is expected to be part of the Portugal squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

How many trophies has Cristiano Ronaldo won with Portugal?

Cristiano Ronaldo has been indispensable for Portugal since breaking into the national team over two decades ago. He has registered 136 goals from 219 games for his national team and is the all-time record goalscorer in men's international football.

Ronaldo reached the final of the 2004 Euros with his national team, but ended up on the losing side. The Al-Nassr superstar had to wait for quite some time for his first silverware with Portugal.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner finally found success at Euro 2016, guiding his team to the trophy. Ronaldo followed that up with the UEFA Nations League triumph in 2019.

The Portuguese superstar will now have his eyes on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo could become the first player, alongside arch-nemesis Lionel Messi, to play in six FIFA World Cups next year. He has registered eight goals and two assists from 22 World Cup games so far, but has never progressed beyond the semifinals in the tournament.

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Edited by Sai Krishna