Cristiano Ronaldo Jr could join European giants after training with top club

March 26, 2026 Oliver Obel

Cristiano Ronaldo Jr has trained with Real Madrid’s academy this week, in what could signal an important decision point in his development as a young player.

The Athletic reported that the 15-year-old joined sessions with the club’s Under-16 side, raising the possibility of a move away from Al-Nassr’s youth system in the near future.

Building his own path

Currently developing in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo Jr has already been exposed to several elite environments. His youth career has included time around academies connected to Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United clubs his father represented during his playing career.

In recent months, he has begun to establish himself independently. His debut for Portugal’s Under-16 team in October marked an early step onto the international stage, where he remains eligible for multiple nations but is widely expected to pursue a future with Portugal.

A return with added meaning

A potential switch to Real Madrid would inevitably draw attention given Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at the club. The Portuguese forward scored 450 goals in 438 appearances after his 2009 move from Manchester United, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer.

For his son, however, any return would come with a different context. Born in the United States during his father’s time in Madrid, Ronaldo Jr would be entering a highly competitive academy system where progression depends on performance rather than reputation.

Real Madrid’s youth setup has produced top-level players in recent years, but only a small percentage make the leap to senior football underlining the scale of the challenge ahead.

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High expectations, measured approach

Cristiano Ronaldo has previously spoken about taking a disciplined but cautious approach to his son’s development.

In a 2020 interview, he said:
"I'm hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes and I'm p***** with him.

"I fight with him when he eats chips and fries and everything, he knows I don't like it.

"Even my small kids, when they eat chocolate they always look to me and, you know, we have to be strong.

"But to be honest he has potential, he is a big boy, he's fast and he's driven well. But this nothing, I tell him every time, it takes a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work."

He added:
"Sometimes when we're at home I say 'go to the treadmill to run a bit' and after the treadmill I say 'now go to the cold water to recover to do it tomorrow again,' and it's 'daddy, it's so cold the water I don't want to do it’.

"But I understand it, he's only 10 years old, it's up to him, I'm not gonna push nothing for him to be a football player.”

Opportunity, not arrival

Training with Real Madrid represents an opening rather than a breakthrough. The pathway from academy football to the professional level remains uncertain, even for highly rated prospects.

For now, Ronaldo Jr is taking early steps in that process with decisions about his immediate future likely to shape how far he can go.

Sources: The Athletic