A MANCHESTER UNITED scout saw Cristiano Ronaldo Jr make his Portugal Under-15 debut as a raft of top clubs sent representatives to the match.
The 14-year-old son of the legendary former Red Devils No7 was cheered onto the pitch when he came off the bench in a 4-1 win over Japan’s Under-15s on Tuesday.
Wearing the same number his father wore with distinction during two spells at Old Trafford, gave a few brief glimpses of his talent during a second-half run-out at the Vlatko Markovic tournament in Croatia.
’s staff will add the scout’s report to their file on the youngster, who could earn a start in one of Portugal’s remaining matches against Greece or England.
will already know plenty from the 14 months Ronaldo Jr spent at their academy.
He played alongside in the youth set-up when his father returned for an ill-fated second stint under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.
The finalists were among several high-profile clubs to send scouts to the match.
United’s Bilbao opponents were in attendance with up to 10 Bundesliga clubs also rumoured to be represented in the crowd.
Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti report that Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim, Red Bull Salzburg, Inter Milan, Juventus and Atalanta sent spies to cover the game.
The Portuguese players caught the eye with their superior technique and tactical appreciation, running out easy winners over the Japanese kids.
Braga forward Rafael Cabral was the star of the match and stole Cristiano Jr’s thunder by bagging a hat-trick before he stepped out onto the pitch.
The 14-year-old honed his ball skills by playing futsal from an early age while his mobility allows him to operate just as effectively from the wings as he does from the middle.
He is Braga’s top scorer in the youth league with 13 goals this season and leads a seven-strong contingent from the club in Portugal’s squad, which contains no players from the traditional powers of Benfica and Sporting Lisbon.
