On Thursday, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Matic collaborated to draw Manchester United level against Chelsea, and now the two stars’ sons have replicated the goal and assist.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Matic’s boys have lovingly re-created their fathers’ goal and assist against Chelsea.
After Matic’s inch-perfect lobbed pass found Ronaldo, who rifled home past helpless Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy after beautifully controlling the ball, the Manchester United players collaborated to equalize Thursday’s 1-1 draw.
While the parents were not pleased with the outcome, their youngsters were definitely delighted with their father’s abilities.
Matic’s 11-year-old son Filip is seen chipping the ball to Cristiano Jr over an adult defender in a touching video. The youngster, like his father, knocks it home and wheels away to join Matic in celebration. They both cry “siuu,” a tribute to Ronaldo’s characteristic celebration, as they run arm in arm towards the camera. Both boys have played for Manchester United’s academy teams.
While Ronaldo’s contract with United has one year left on it, Matic has already stated that he will be departing the club at the end of the season. The Serbian told revealed after the encounter on Thursday: “It was a pleasure and an honor for me to play for five years at Old Trafford.”
“Before the game, I stated that I would do everything in my power to assist my side. There are three more games to go, and United will always hold a special place in my heart, so it was an honor to be a part of it all.”
Ronaldo, on the other hand, isn’t guaranteed to stay, with interim manager Ralf Rangnick praising him but acknowledging that new manager Erik ten Hag will have to determine whether the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is in his plans for next season.
Regardless, Cristiano Jr.’s future appears bright, as former Juventus superstar Ronaldo said of his son while the family was still living in Italy: “We’ll see if my son develops into a fantastic football player. He has a lot of promise. He dribbles well and is quick, but it isn’t enough.”
“I always teach him that success requires hard work and persistence. I’m not going to put any pressure on him to become a footballer, but if you ask me whether I want him to, I’d say absolutely. The most important thing for him is to excel in whatever he does, whether it’s football or medicine.”