1 November holds a special significance for Cristiano Ronaldo. It was on this day in 2003 that he scored his first goal for Manchester United, marking the beginning of one of the brightest chapters in his illustrious career.
Twenty-two years later, the same date brought even greater joy for Ronaldo. On 1 November, his son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., scored his first goal for Portugal’s Under-16 team. Not only that, but Ronaldo himself also found the back of the net on the same day.
Ronaldo Jr., the elder son of the Portuguese superstar, had made his debut for Portugal Under-16 just three days earlier. In the match against Turkey in the Federation Cup, he was brought on as a late substitute. However, in the subsequent match against Wales in the same tournament, Ronaldo Jr. was given a starting spot in the first half. In the 42nd minute, he put Portugal ahead with a low shot from his right foot after receiving a precise pass from teammate Carlos Meitar. Portugal went on to secure a 3-0 victory.
The video of Ronaldo Jr.’s goal quickly went viral on social media, with many fans noting the striking resemblance to his father’s finishing style. Ronaldo himself shared his delight on Instagram, posting the clip of his son’s goal to his story with three fire emojis, making his happiness evident.
More than six hours after the Wales-Portugal match in Turkey, Ronaldo took to the field in Saudi Arabia for Al Nassr. In the Saudi Pro League fixture against Al Fayha, he scored in the 37th minute. Later, in the 105th minute during added time, Ronaldo converted a penalty to secure victory for Al Nassr, who maintained their top spot in the league with 21 points from seven matches. With this goal, Ronaldo’s career tally reached 952, edging ever closer to the milestone of 1,000 goals.
Beyond the personal achievements, Ronaldo’s joy was undoubtedly amplified by the remarkable coincidence: 22 years after scoring his first goal for Manchester United against Portsmouth, his son scored his first goal for Portugal Under-16 on the same date. This serendipitous alignment made 1 November an exceptionally memorable day for the Ronaldo family.