Cristiano Ronaldo joins Roberto Carlos at Chivas! Young players named after Real Madrid legends CR7 and Zinedine Zidane join Mexican side coached by ex-Barcelona star

According to L’Equipe, Cristiano Ronaldo Rojas Vidal, 16, and Zinedine Sidane Hernandez Quezada, 18, have been added to the Mexican side's squad. They join players called Roberto Carlos Alvarado Hernandez and Angel Robinho Romero Quintero, who were already part of the team, ahead of the upcoming Apertura season The Guadalajara club will hope the four players live up to their famous namesakes.

With Ronaldo, Zidane, Carlos and Robinho being some of football’s greatest players, whose careers are filled with accolades and trophies, it is no surprise parents are inspired to name their children after such legends. In an interview in 2023, Sidane’s father confirmed so, saying: “It's a real tribute to Zinedine Zidane. I played football in Mexico and I've always had a lot of affection for France and Brazil. He's a player who really left his mark on me. Why with an S and not a Z? Because when it came to registering him in Mexico, the person didn't write it correctly.”

Chivas are coached by former Barcelona defender Gabriel Milito, who spent four years at the club from 2007 to 2011 and was part of Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side in 2011. 

Chivas hope the young players can perform well without being weighed down by the expectations their names bring. The players, in turn, aim to impress coach Milito and earn starting spots for the Mexican side.