GOAT families! ‘Easier’ for Cristiano Ronaldo to live ‘dream’ than it was for LeBron James as Al-Nassr superstar looks to become a team-mate of son Junior

Ronaldo, at 41 years of age, is setting entirely different targets to the ones that dominated his thoughts when setting out on the road to superstardom. Back then, it was all about winning trophies and rewriting the history books.

Both of those goals still stand, as Al-Nassr chase down the Saudi Pro League title and more records fall heading towards the 2026 World Cup, but the evergreen frontman has earned the right to become slightly more selfish in his outlook.

The ex-United, Real Madrid and Juventus striker has made no secret of the fact that he wants to reach 1,000 competitive goals before any thought is given to retirement. He is fast closing in on that remarkable milestone.

Ronaldo would also welcome the opportunity to line up alongside Junior - who is set to turn 16 in June. The talented teenager has followed his father around Europe and over to the Middle East, gracing various academy systems along the way.

It has been suggested that Al-Nassr are ready to promote the youngster into their senior squad, having already seen him make an international breakthrough with Portugal in their youth ranks.

There have been plenty of examples down the years of dads competing with or against their offspring, but few of those have generated as much buzz as Ronaldo ticking that box. Basketball icon James has already achieved that feat alongside son Bronny at the LA Lakers, with CR7 taking inspiration from a fellow all-time great.

Quizzed on what turning out alongside Junior would mean to Ronaldo, Saha - who once shared a dressing room with the Portuguese at Old Trafford - told GOAL while speaking exclusively in association with Wiz Slots: “I do think that it is probably, maybe, easier to do that in football than it is in the NBA because of the amount of players that are allowed to be in that division.

“Having a name like Cristiano, you can have a bit of a say on certain things. I would be very thrilled because that's a dream come true for any parent to have this opportunity, to have his son become a professional. It's already an achievement and that would be the cherry on the cake.

“I'm sure that if this moment arrives, everybody will appreciate it because I think his dedication has shown the right path for his son and that's brilliant to see. It's not because you have been in a wealthy environment with every kind of opportunity that you succeed. So I do think that gives a lot of respect to Junior.”

Ronaldo, who is working on the most lucrative contract in world football, still has a year left to run on his deal at Al-Nassr. It could be that the next 12 months present him with an opportunity to welcome Junior into the professional fold.

It remains to be seen in whichdirection their respective careers will head, with there plenty of speculation to be found regarding another move for CR7 that allows him to play on into his mid-40s - potentially gracing another major tournament along the way and outlasting eternal rival Lionel Messi, who will be 41 when his contract at MLS Cup winners Inter Miami expires in 2028.

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