Cristiano Ronaldo’s son is set to join Wayne Rooney’s kid Kai in the Manchester United Under-12s set-up.
Cristiano Jr, 11, has been with Juventus’ academy since 2018, with Ronaldo Sr revealing back then that he hoped his son would become a footballer.
Meanwhile, Rooney’s son Kai recently bagged his first hat-trick for the academy side and has been showing a lot of promise for the future. All of Rooney’s kids are football mad.
Rooney and Ronaldo enjoyed huge success together at United // Getty
Speaking to DAZN, Ronaldo said: “I would love for him to be a footballer, because he feels passion for this sport. He is a competitor and he hates losing.”
Now, according to A Bola, Cristiano Jr and Kai are set to become teammates in United’s Under-12s side for the upcoming campaign.
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Wayne and Cristiano are one of Manchester United’s most prolific, historical partnerships. The pair helped the Red Devils bag three Premier League titles in a row between 2007 and 2009, with Ronaldo picking up a Ballon d’Or for his performance in the 2007/08 campaign.
Rooney recently spoke to The Telegraph on Ronaldo’s move back to Manchester, saying: “Cristiano is still one of the best players in the world and has won titles everywhere he’s been so he’s going to be huge.
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“He still wants to be the best and I’m sure he will have a big impact on them this season.
“Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] will certainly know that he’s in a position now where he needs to start winning these big titles with the players that he’s brought in.
“For their development, to get to the next step now is to start winning titles.”
Sport
The world’s first standalone women’s football retail store has opened in Manchester
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Foudys, the world’s first ever store dedicated exclusively to women’s football, has opened in Manchester.
Back in 2020, Helen Hardy began Foudys, with the goal (pardon the pun) of addressing a fundamental gap in the market, regarding the lack of access to official women’s football merchandise.
She began the brand by supplying shirts with women’s players names on the back, something that shockingly has not been widely available until now. The business has since rapidly grown into a highly respected name, working with global brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma.
As Hardy rightly said: “Women and girls are underserved by traditional sport retailers. Currently we see store environments created through the male lens, an overwhelming focus on male products and aesthetics that are geared toward football-mad boys.
“The staff are used to selling to men and boys who often grow up with an innate knowledge of football products. Through our online store we can see what our customers want and need is different.
“They like a mix of performance and lifestyle products, more specialist advice and a non-intimidating environment where they feel comfortable to ask any product questions. This is what our Foudys store will deliver.”
A giant football scarf instead of a ribbon cutting at FoudysFoudys celebrates the women’s football game
After developing a loyal community of players and fans across the globe, Foudys has finally branched out into a new in-person two-storey retail store here at Manchester’s Great Northern Warehouse, on Deansgate – and where better to have it than a city so synonymous with football?
The store is set to stock official merchandise, exclusive handpicked collaborations, limited-edition ranges, performance products tailored specifically for female athletes, plus some must-have fashion collections inspired by women’s sport.
There’ll be a whole section of performance wear like sports bras, football boots and more, plus football shirts you can have customised with printing in-store.
This isn’t just a shop – it doubles up as a cultural hub for the women’s game, with events in the store including watch parties, panini sticker swaps, player panel discussions and sewing workshops to fix damaged football kits.
A glimpse inside Foudys in ManchesterYou can pick up performance wear as well as merch and fashion pieces
The new Foudys opening represents a wider significant step forward for women’s sport, as the demand for women’s football continues to soar with record-breaking attendances, increased media rights deals and rising brand investment.
This is reflected by Deloitte’s* findings showing that in 2026, global revenue in women’s elite sports is predicted to exceed US$3 billion for the first time, marking a 25 per cent increase over 2025 and 340 per cent growth since 2022. However, retail is currently not sufficiently reflecting this shift, which is something Foudys aspires to change.
“There’s been huge progress on the pitch and in media coverage, but the commercial ecosystem hasn’t fully caught up,” Hardy added.
“Retail is a critical part of that. This store is about creating a space where fans and players feel seen, represented and catered for, something that hasn’t existed before at this scale.
“Foudys has always led from the front, being the first to put female players’ names on the back of shirts and providing exclusive access to products from the US NWSL League and the TOGETHXR range. This is the next step in that journey. We want to break barriers and show what women and girls need from a sports store.”
Foudys is named after USA Legend Julie FoudyPieces in store celebrate the Lionesses’ big wins
Foudys hopes to become the global home of women’s football retail and culture, with their in-person store being a crucial step in bridging the gap between performance and lifestyle.
In 2024, the Sports Innovation Lab* found a significant disparity in sport retail, highlighting that for every nine pieces of men’s sport merchandise available, there is only one piece for women’s sport. While in the same study, it was revealed that women’s sport fans spend more on merchandise and make more purchases per year than men’s sport fans.
Foudys prides itself on its inclusive community feel, with staff trained to help explain their products in a way that is accessible, whether you’re a complete newbie or consider yourself a pro.
Their expert team is on hand to help players consider a wide variety of boot options, as well as providing a safe space for sports bra advice, fittings and help on the best period underwear for performance. What more could you ask for?
The Foudys store is now open (from 25 June 2026) at 293 Deansgate, Manchester.
New Amazon Prime Video docuseries to show Pep Guardiola’s final seasons at Manchester City
Emily Sergeant
A new all-access docuseries featuring Pep Guardiola’s final few seasons at Manchester City is set to air this summer.
Coming exclusively to Prime Video in the UK and Ireland, the four-part documentary is set to take Manchester City fans and neutral viewers alike inside the club as the players and manager – who delivered an era of dominance -make way for a new generation.
Filmed over the past two seasons, this is the ultimate account of an emotional farewell that marks the end of an era in English football, and will offer unfiltered access to Guardiola, his squad, and the City boardroom.
After 10 trophy-filled years – which included six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, three FA Cups, and five EFL Cups – Pep Guardiola called time on his tenure in Manchester last month, alongside fan favourite players Bernardo Silva and John Stones, as well as Kevin De Bruyne the season prior.
This new docuseries was there to follow them every step of the process.
Fans can follow City from a disappointing 2024/25 campaign right through to a domestic double the following season, charting the raw emotion of a squad in transition.
The series is directed by Academy and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker, Kevin Macdonald, alongside City Studios’ John De Caux, and is produced by Kevin Macdonald for Plan B/KM Films and Gavin Johnson and Ged Doherty for City Studios.
“This is the ultimate account of an emotional farewell that marks the end of an era in English football,” Amazon Prime Video said in a statement.
The Manc -
3rd September 2021 
