A 6-year-old Chiweenie named Ronaldo from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is stealing hearts and going viral for his incredible goalkeeping skills — proving that sometimes the best athletes have four legs and a wagging tail.

Ronaldo’s owner, Stephanie Craveiro Katzman, tells PEOPLE exclusively: “Our family thinks [Ronaldo’s] a reincarnated soccer legend.” She proudly calls him the “greatest goalkeeper on 4 legs.”

The energetic pup belongs to Stephanie’s parents, Candida and Antonio Craveiro. The family has always been passionate about soccer, especially Portuguese football. When they brought Ronaldo home in February 2020, they hoped he might emulate his famous namesake, Cristiano Ronaldo, by scoring goals. Instead, the tiny dog showed a natural talent for stopping them.

“At first we bought him a goal and tried to teach him to score on it like Cristiano Ronaldo, but he was much more interested in catching the ball with his mouth,” Katzman recalls. “He showed us he preferred stopping shots and being a goalkeeper.”

Ronaldo doesn’t just chase the ball — he dives, leaps, and makes acrobatic saves with style and swag. One TikTok video of him stopping all eight shots in a row has garnered over 14 million views. His family films training sessions weekly, and fans can’t get enough of the pint-sized keeper’s high-flying antics.

“Every time someone’s foot goes near a soccer ball, he springs into action,” Katzman says. “He really is always ready to play.”

The Craveiro family, who “eat, breathe, and sleep soccer,” never expected their backyard games to turn Ronaldo into a social media star. With over 50,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok (@ronaldothefootballdog), his clips have been shared by major sports accounts. Even celebrities like iShowSpeed and goalkeeper Brittany Wilson Isenhour have shown love.

While Ronaldo dreams of one day playing for Team Portugal, his family says the real joy comes from the happiness he brings to everyone around him.

“We named him Ronaldo when we first got him and had no idea how much he’d end up loving soccer,” Katzman shares. “Although he isn’t a striker like Cristiano, he’s definitely lived up to his namesake as a global soccer star!”

This adorable four-legged athlete continues to prove that passion, natural talent, and a love for the game can make anyone — or any pup — a champion.