- Cristiano Ronaldo has five children between the ages of 14 years old and just two
- His eldest child Cristiano Jr has big dreams of following in his father’s footsteps
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Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up about his family life outside of football and how his competitive edge has been passed on to his children.
The Portugal legend is well-known for his motivation to break records within football, even at the age of 39.
Just last week, Ronaldo became the first player in football history to score 900 career goals as he found the net for Portugal against Croatia.
And when speaking to his former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand, the relentless goalscorer revealed that his competitiveness has spread to activities with his five children.
‘I was in the Red Sea a couple of days ago, I play every day padel. Me and Cristiano Jr get mad, we don’t speak for like two days,’ he told the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
Cristiano Ronaldo has shared how competitive his family of five children are behind the scenes
Sometimes Ronaldo’s eldest son Cristiano Jr will not talk to the forward after losing at padel
Speaking in a blockbuster interview to Rio Ferdinand, he told of how competitive his family is
‘This is why I’m happy, even the small one Matteo [gets competitive], I like it. It shows they have personality.
‘Seriously, my kids, they are like me. I don’t teach them but they see by example because sometimes when I lose I get angry, sometimes I cry, depends on the moment.
‘They are kind of the same, so even with my kids I compete, I always want to win. I don’t give nothing for free.’
Ronaldo has two children with girlfriend Georgia Rodriguez, while he fathers three others with the Argentine-Spanish model, who were all born via a surrogate mother.
His eldest son, Cristiano Jr, is trying to follow in the legendary forward’s footsteps and currently plays for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr’s youth set-up, while Ronaldo continues his venture with the senior side.
Cristiano Jr, who is 14 years old, has followed his father wherever he has played, featuring for both Juventus’ and Manchester United’s academies.
But despite his son’s development in the sport, Ronaldo is keen to not demand too much from the talented youngster.
‘This generation, it is difficult to tell them something and let them do it,’ he continued. ‘They will always see their daddy as an example, they see me every day in what I do, at home, in training, or in a game. They see me work a lot.
Cristiano Jr followed his legendary father to Saudi Arabia and plays within Al-Nassr’s academy
Ronaldo’s son has also played in Man United’s youth set up and wants to be professional
‘Right in this moment, Cristiano want to be a football player but I don’t make big pressure, I make a little.
‘He’s 14 years old, he has pressure already to be the son of Cristiano [senior]. Let him do his own mistakes, but I hope that in the future he can be a professional player.
‘If he doesn’t become a player, maybe another job, but I will always support him. We cannot put pressure on our sons because we are famous.’
Listen to the full Rio Meets Cristiano interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. RioFerdinandPresents.com