“It’s more in his hands than in mine” - Cristiano Ronaldo makes feelings clear about emulating LeBron James by playing with his son
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo recently made his feelings clear about sharing the pitch with his son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, like basketball legend LeBron James, who is working with his son Bronny at the LA Lakers.
Despite being 40, Cristiano Ronaldo is showing no signs of slowing down. The talismanic Portuguese joined Al-Nassr in 2023 after scoring 701 goals in European football. In 89 games for the Knights of Najd, he has already racked up 81 goals and 19 assists. At present, Ronaldo is scoring for fun at Al-Nassr, having netted 13 goals in his last ten club games across competitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. will turn 15 this June and is currently a part of Al-Nassr's training academy. There is a possibility of him sharing the dressing room with his father if the five-time Ballon d'Or winner can extend his career by a few years. The youngster, however, will have to prove his mettle within the academy and rise the ranks to reach the senior side.
However, the Portuguese superstar doesn't see it as a mandate in his career. Speaking about the same to Canal 11, he said:
“I would like it, I would like it. It's not something that keeps me up at night but I would like it. We'll see. It's more in his hands than in mine. The years are starting to pass and obviously, Cris will have to, one day, leave football because the years I'm extending... There will come a time when it's no longer possible. Not only physically but psychologically."
He continued:
“But I also don't see it as an obsession. He will follow his path, his trajectory. I will be a proud father, I will be proud of whatever he wants to do. If he plays, 'top'. If he doesn't play, we tried. At least his father tried hard. But it won't be a problem either, in my opinion.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has been tipped by many fans and pundits to play well into his forties and fulfill his ambition of reaching 1,000 senior-level goals for club and country.
Ex-Manchester United coach once claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo dreams of playing alongside his son
Former Manchester United manager René Meulensteen once claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo is delaying hanging up his boots because he dreams of playing with his son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
Meulensteen was Manchester United's assistant manager from 2008 to 2013, spending one year with the Portuguese legend before he shifted to Real Madrid. In an interview with GOAL (in association with Instant Casino) in December 2024, Meulensteen said:
"One hundred percent. He would love that [playing with his son]. Maybe that might be extra motivation for him to keep going and waiting for that time to come. I said it years and years ago, Ronaldo will never leave as a candle that slowly burns down. If he feels that he can still make a massive contribution in the way he keeps going and playing, scoring goals."
"But there is a cut-off point for everybody, where the game runs away from you. That can sometimes happen whether you want it or not. I’m sure he has got plenty of motivation in him. He’s a fit boy, he looks after himself so well, and I bet he would love to play alongside his son," he continued.
As per MARCA, Cristiano Ronaldo has recently extended his contract with Al-Nassr for a year and will reportedly earn a massive €183 million for the additional campaign. In addition, the club's management has offered him five percent of the ownership of Al-Nassr as a token of appreciation.