New Delhi: Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., son of football icon and all-time international top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, made a memorable debut for the Portugal Under-15 national team in their commanding 4-1 victory against Japan in the opening match of the Vlatko Markovic International Tournament on Tuesday.
Proud father Cristiano Ronaldo took to Instagram to share his joy, posting: “Congratulations on your @portugal debut son. Very proud of you!”
The match began with intensity, as both sides pressed high and looked for an early breakthrough.
Despite the energetic start, clear chances were limited until the 20th minute when Lourenço Fernandes threaded a brilliant through-ball to Rafael Cabral, who calmly finished to give Portugal the lead.
Cabral struck again just two minutes later. Receiving the ball in the box, he turned past a defender and fired home his second, showcasing his clinical finishing and doubling Portugal’s advantage before the half-hour mark.
Japan responded by pushing their defensive line higher in an effort to control Portugal’s pace on the counter.
Though they managed to contain further attacks before halftime, they rarely troubled Portuguese goalkeeper André Marques.
In the second half, Japan showed more attacking intent but failed to capitalize on their chances.
Portugal, however, remained sharp. A penalty was awarded after Cabral was brought down in the box, and he completed his hat-trick from the spot—capping off a stellar performance with three goals.
Portugal continued to dominate as more players were introduced off the bench. One of the newcomers, Henrique Amen, made an immediate impact. Just moments after coming on in the 72nd minute, he scored Portugal’s fourth goal with a composed finish following a swift team counterattack.
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Japan managed to pull one back during injury time, courtesy of Toa Fujisawa, but it was merely a consolation in a match thoroughly controlled by the young Portuguese side.
This tournament appearance marked a strong showing for the Quinas’ youngest national squad, filled with debutants and standout performances.
Portugal will next face Greece on May 14, followed by matches against England on May 16 and an undetermined opponent on May 18.
