Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portuguese soccer team make their 2026 World Cup debut on Wednesday, June 17 against the Democratic Republic of Congo. But off the field, the 41-year-old superstar is focusing on his family life.
Cristiano is a father of five and is engaged to Georgina Rodríguez. And before his big match, the soccer player wished his oldest son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., a happy 16th birthday. The proud dad posted a photo of the two to his 666 million Instagram followers, writing in Portuguese: "Congratulations, son. Your father loves you."
The soccer star takes fatherhood seriously, once telling HELLO!: "Becoming a parent and raising my family is honestly the greatest privilege I've had. I'm enjoying every second of it."
So, as the world cheers on Cristiano and Portugal, here's everything you need to know about his eldest son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. on his 16th birthday.
© Getty ImagesCristiano Jr. is following in his dad's footsteps
Like his superstar dad, Cristiano Jr. is a soccer player. When he was just seven, Cristiano shared a photo of the duo to Instagram of him lacing up his son's cleats, writing: "I think Cris loves them more than I do!"
In May 2025, Cristiano shared that Cristiano Jr. had been called up to Portugal's youth squad to play in a tournament in Croatia, writing on his Instagram Stories, "Proud of you, son!"
© Getty ImagesThe father-son duo may play together
Cristiano has won 35 official major trophies throughout his career. But an accomplishment he could add to his list is sharing the field with Cristiano Jr. Currently, Cristiano plays for the Saudi Arabian football club Al-Nassr and his son is on the youth team.
Reports have been swirling about the team considering bringing Cristiano Jr. into the professional team. If Al-Nassr did bring Cristiano Jr. to the team, he would first play on the training roster with the possibility of joining the full squad.
© InstagramCristiano keeps his son's life private
Cristiano Jr. was born on June 17, 2010 in California and the identity of his mother has never been released. In 2015, the soccer player explained why on The Jonathan Ross Show, saying: "Some points in life are private and people have to respect the privacy. When Cristiano is going to grow up, I am always going to say the truth to him because he deserves it, because he is my son. But I am not going to say [it just] because people want me to say."
© Getty ImagesCristiano Jr.'s soccer style
During Cristiano's self-titled documentary in 2015, his son told him he wanted to be a goalkeeper when he grew up. But, in the decade since, Cristiano Jr. has become a forward who scores many goals instead of keeping them out of the net.
The teen is much taller than his dad, standing at 6' with more room to grow. Cristiano Jr. pledged his commitment to Portugal, even though he could technically play for the United States, and boasts an impressive record of 56 goals in 27 matches for Al Nassr's youth team.
© InstagramCristiano Jr.'s little siblings
The young soccer player is a happy big sibling to his four little brothers and sisters. In June 2017, when Cristiano Jr. was seven, he became a big brother to twins Eva Maria and Mateo Ronaldo.
Several months later, in November 2017, his dad and girlfriend Georgina welcomed their first baby together, a daughter named Alana. And in 2021, the couple announced they were pregnant with twins.
In April 2022, Cristiano shared the heartbreaking news that one of the couple's twins, a baby boy, had died. "It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel," he wrote on Instagram. "Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness."
Cristiano was open about sharing the hard news with his children, including Cristiano Jr. "Gio arrived home and the kids start to say where's the other baby, where's the other baby?" he explained in an interview with Piers Morgan. "After one week I say, 'Let's be upfront, and let's be honest with the kids, let's say that, Ángel, which is his name, he go to the Heaven.'"
