Cristiano Ronaldo’s son, Cristiano dos Santos Jr., made his debut for the Portugal U-15 National Team on Tuesday as they began their Vlatko Markovic International Tournament campaign with a 4-1 win over Japan.
Ronaldo shared his pride on Instagram, writing:
“Congratulations on your @portugal debut son. Very proud of you!”
A Tight Start Turns Into a Portuguese Showcase
The match kicked off with both teams pressing high and trying to take control early on. Though goal-scoring chances were few at the start, Portugal broke the deadlock midway through the first half.
Lourenço Fernandes delivered a precise pass to Rafael Cabral, who calmly slotted the ball past the Japanese keeper in the 20th minute to make it 1-0.
Just two minutes later, Cabral struck again. This time, he received the ball inside the box, turned his marker, and fired home his second goal of the match, giving Portugal a 2-0 lead.
Japan Pushes, But Cabral Strikes Again
Japan tried to respond by pushing their defensive line forward and slowing down Portugal’s fast breaks. They managed to keep things relatively quiet until halftime, with only a few dangerous moments near the Portuguese goal.
In the second half, Japan showed more attacking intent, but Portugal stayed solid at the back. Then came another big moment — Rafael Cabral was brought down in the box, and he converted the penalty himself to complete his hat-trick. A dream performance for the young striker.
Dream Goal for a Debutant
As Portugal looked to manage their lead, they introduced more young players — and one of them made an instant impact. Henrique Amen came on in the 72nd minute and scored in the very same minute, finishing off a rapid counter-attack to make it 4-0.
Japan managed to pull one back in injury time through Toa Fujisawa, but it was too little, too late.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Son A Bright Start in the Vlatko Markovic Tournament
It was a morning of promising debuts and standout performances for the youngest team in Portugal’s national setup. The Quinas Team will continue their group stage campaign with matches against Greece on May 14 and England on May 16. Their final game is scheduled for May 18, with the opponent still to be confirmed.
