Will Cristiano Ronaldo Jr follow in his famous fatherâs footsteps by becoming a professional footballer?The eldest child of Ronaldo, who turned 12 in June, has already made headlines thanks to his achievements on the pitch.Back in 2019, it was reported that Cristiano Jr had scored 58 goals in 28 matches in Juventusâs youth ranks.He then joined Manchester Unitedâs youth team last summer when his dad secured a move back to Old Trafford and appears to have settled in very well indeed.During a youth tournament earlier this year, for example, Cristiano Jr was filmed scoring a couple of goals for Unitedâs Under-12s and pulling out his dadâs iconic âSiuuuuu!â celebration.Because of who his father is, Cristiano Jr stands an excellent chance of becoming a pro footballer if he wants it enough.ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 09: Cristiano Ronaldo Junior receives The Best FIFA Men's Player Award from his father Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Real Madrid after The Best FIFA Football Awards 2016 on January 9, 2017 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images)
Ronaldo's doubts over Cristiano Jr's chances of reaching the top
Although when asked if his son can reach the top at an awards ceremony in 2020, Ronaldo spoke honestly by expressing some of his doubts.
âNot yet,â Ronaldo responded. âIâm hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes and Iâm p***** with him.
âI fight with him when he eats chips and fries and everything, he knows I donât like it.
âEven my small kids, when they eat chocolate they always look to me and, you know, we have to be strong.â
Ronaldo made headlines during Euro 2020 by moving two bottles of Coca-Cola to one side during a press conference before encouraging people to drink water instead.
It was reported that the carbonated soft drink manufacturer lost up to $4 billion as a result of the five-time Ballon dâOr winnerâs gesture.
âBut to be honest he has potential, he is a big boy, heâs fast and heâs driven well,â Ronaldo added. âBut this nothing, I tell him every time, it takes a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work.
âSometimes when weâre at home I say âgo to the treadmill to run a bitâ and after the treadmill I say ânow go to the cold water to recover to do it tomorrow again,â and itâs âdaddy, itâs so cold the water I donât want to do it.â But I understand it, heâs only 10 years old, itâs up to him.â
Asked if heâd like Cristiano Jr to become a footballer, Ronaldo said: âIâm not gonna push nothing for him to be a football player. If you ask me if I want, yes I want, but heâs gonna be whatever he wants. If he wants to be a doctor or, I just want him thinking âIâve got to be the best.'â
Watch a clip from the interview here:
Cristiano Ronaldo's mentality is unrivalled
You can see why Ronaldo has achieved so much during his remarkable career with that attitude.
His mentality and professionalism are off the scale.
Cristiano Jr was fortunate enough to be born into a life of luxury, so itâs a big ask to expect that heâll possess the same inner drive as his dad.
Khabib: Ronaldo worried his son won't have the same hunger
Ronaldo himself has the same concern, according to UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
âHe told me he wanted his son to succeed him but he was worried his son wonât be able to do it since when Cristiano himself was his age, he could only dream about a pair of simple cleats [boots],â Khabib said in 2021.
âHis son has everything. So heâs worried that he will never feel that hunger.â
Quiz: Can you get 20/20 on our Ultimate Cristiano Ronaldo quiz?
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