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After nearly nine years of dating and building a family, former Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo and his longtime girlfriend, Georgina Rodríguez, are engaged.
Georgina, a model, broke the news on Monday in Spanish on her Instagram story with a photo of her stunning diamond rings, “Yes, I do. In this and all my lives,” she wrote.
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Love story
Cristiano, 40, and Georgina, 31, first met in 2016 at a Gucci store in Madrid, where Georgina worked as a retail assistant.
Their relationship became public in 2017. Georgina quickly became a fixture in Cristiano’s life as he navigated his career from Real Madrid to Juventus, Manchester United, and now Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
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Cristiano, who had cemented his legacy as one of the greatest football players with many laurels and records attached to his name, first introduced Georgina to the public eye at events like the 2017 FIFA Awards.
At the FIFA celebration, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner appeared with Georgina, where they made their red carpet debut, and she has since appeared in his social media posts and family outings, solidifying her role as his partner.
Marriage
Speculations about why the couple has remained together for so long without marriage have swirled for years, often centring on Cristiano’s focus on his career, family priorities, and a desire for privacy amid intense media scrutiny.
Whenever asked why they are not yet married after many years together, the 40-year-old player mostly bypasses the question amidst fans’ queries and media pressure.
Earlier this year, in an interview on Netflix’s ‘I Am Georgina,’ Georgina and her lover, Cristiano, discussed their marriage plans, with Cristiano explaining he is waiting for the ‘golden opportunity.’
“I always tell her. When we get that click,” he explained. He added that “the click” could occur any time. This placed Cristiano under heavy criticism from netizens who speculated that the football legend only wasted Georgina’s time.
Family
Cristiano and Georgina have built a family together, sharing five children. Ronaldo has three children from previous surrogacy arrangements: Cristiano Jr, born in 2010, and twins Eva and Mateo, born in 2017.
With Georgina, they welcomed daughter Alana Martina in November 2017, followed by twins Bella Esmeralda and Ángel in April 2022, though Ángel tragically passed away shortly after birth.
The couple has often shared glimpses of their family life, including Georgina’s role in raising all the children, which has fueled speculation about their long-term commitment.
In interviews, Cristiano, a Portuguese, has spoken candidly about his relationship with Georgina, an Argentine, notably in a 2022 Piers Morgan interview where he noted their relationship grew stronger despite national and cultural differences.
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The interview, held by British journalist Piers Morgan and aired on TalkTV, featured Cristiano praising Georgina’s support during his career highs and lows, adding that marriage was not rushed but part of their natural progression.
Since their relationship together, Georgina has risen from a humble background in Argentina to a global influencer and model, starring in her Netflix series “I Am Georgina,” which documented their life together.
Although they have never officially confirmed marriage, Cristiano frequently calls Georgina his “wife.” At the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, December 2024, he said: “It’s a big pleasure to win this trophy. My oldest son and my wife, Georgina, are here.”
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