Cristiano Ronaldo has won a litany of trophies and personal honors, but he could yet break new ground by playing first-team football with his son Cristiano Jr.
Saudi outlet Al Weeam was among those to report that Al Nassr, who sit top of the Saudi Pro League, are considering bringing Cristiano Jr. into the first team when he turns 16 next season — first as part of the training roster, then possibly as an inclusion in the full squad.
While nothing has been confirmed yet, it’s fair to say that the prospect of Ronaldo and his son playing together in the same team, while uncommon, certainly wouldn’t be an unique phenomenon — with several father and son combos having previously taken to the pitch alongside one another.
Eidur and Arnor Gudjohnsen
Arguably the most famous example is former Chelsea and Barcelona forward Eidur Gudjohnsen, who attained immortality in soccer trivia circles when he made his international debut for Iceland in 1996 when he came on as a substitute for his own father, Arnor.
Arnor and Eidur remain the only father and son to play for the same senior national team during a game after the 17-year-old prodigy replaced his 34-year-old dad in a 3-0 victory over Estonia.
Rivaldinho and Rivaldo
In late 2013, at the tail end of his extended career, Brazil legend Rivaldo finally returned Mogi Mirim, the club he represented as a youngster in the early 1990s, on a short-term deal intended to see him into retirement.
Rivaldo was in his 40s when he first rejoined the Brazilian Serie B side and duly found himself playing in the same side as his son, Rivaldinho. The 1999 Ballon d’Or-winning veteran then retired in 2014, but subsequently staged a grand return to the side in the summer of 2015, when he and his son achieved the rare distinction of scoring a goal in the same match as Mogi Mirim beat Macae 3-1.
Jordan and Henrik Larsson
Former Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United striker Henrik Larsson returned to boyhood club Hogaborg in 2013 at the age of 41 to help provide cover for an injury crisis that had ravaged the squad.
It was there he joined forces with 15-year-old son, Jordan, who had just himself cracked into the first-team frame at the same club. Larsson Sr. made just one appearance for the club, but it just so happened to see him paired with his son in a game against Tenhults IF.
Henrik then retired and moved into management, eventually returning to another of his former clubs, Helsingborg, in 2015. No prizes for guessing who was firmly entrenched in the first-team squad at the time.
Alexei Eremenko Jr. and Alexei Eremenko Snr.
As unlikely as it may seem, there is a father-son pairing who have won silverware playing together as part of the same team.
Russia midfielder Alexei Eremenko Sr. had a four-year stint at Finland giants HJK Helsinki at the end of his long club career. During that time he found himself on the same roster as his son, Alexei Jr., and in unison the pair won two consecutive Veikkausliiga titles in 2002 and 2003, which even became a league-cup double with the addition of the 2003 Finnish Cup.
Not even sports’ most famous father-son pairing NBA legend LeBron James and his son, Bronny, have managed to lift a trophy together.
