LeBron James 2.0? The plan for Cristiano Ronaldo to play with his son next season
Cristiano Ronaldo could soon share the field with his son, as plans emerge for Cristiano Jr. to step into the senior squad next season.
Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved just about everything in soccer - Ballon d’Or titles, Champions League glory, and international success with Portugal. But one milestone, a deeply personal and historically rare one, is still on the table: playing professional football alongside his son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
With Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. approaching his 16th birthday, reports suggest plans are being considered that could see father and son share a team as early as next season.
Cristiano Ronaldo watched his son train and said;
— Ilerimi🤞 (@Bestileri) June 27, 2026
🗣️ he’ll be bigger than me. At his age I was still smaller. pic.twitter.com/204yNbTSn3
Could Ronaldo Jr. join Al Nassr’s first team?
Reports from Saudi Arabia suggest that Cristiano Ronaldo’s current club, Al Nassr, is considering a bold move. Cristiano Jr., who has been part of Al Nassr’s youth setup since 2022, could be fast-tracked into first-team training now that he’s recently turned 16 years old. From there, a senior debut, potentially alongside his father, is not out of the question. Nothing has been officially confirmed, but the idea alone has sparked huge interest across the soccer world.
While unusual, father-son pairings in professional sports have happened before. The most famous example in soccer remains Eidur Gudjohnsen, who replaced his father Arnor Gudjohnsen during an international match for Iceland in 1996. Brazilian legend Rivaldo also shared the field with his son Rivaldinho at club level, even scoring in the same game. And Swedish icon Henrik Larsson briefly played alongside his son Jordan Larsson during a late-career return to club football.
Another famous example is in the NBA, where LeBron James and his son Bronny James made history in 2024 by becoming the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game with the Los Angeles Lakers. They actually took the court together and even appeared in games during the 2025–26 season, extending their time as teammates. However, that chapter may now be evolving, with LeBron expected to continue his career away from the Lakers, potentially ending their time as teammates.
Could Ronaldo go one step further?
If Cristiano Jr. does break into Al Nassr’s first team while his father is still playing, the duo could replicate or even surpass that achievement. Unlike basketball, where substitutions are frequent and rosters are smaller, soccer offers a different kind of challenge. Minutes are harder to come by, and generational overlaps are rarer.
But Ronaldo has never followed a conventional path. Still performing at an elite level well into his 40s, he has made it clear he intends to extend his career as long as possible, perhaps long enough to share the field with his son.
🚨🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo: “They said I should retire… but I am here”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 23, 2026
“The noise from outside is always like this, but we can’t control it. We keep going and we are united”. pic.twitter.com/Dev7pRKxqz
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