Aside from being one of the most successful football players, Cristiano Ronaldo is also a huge family man. The famous athlete is a father to 5 children, even though it could’ve been 6. Unfortunately, Ronaldo faced one of the most heartbreaking things that can happen to a parent in early 2022, which affected not only him but his partner and children too.
In 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodríguez, found out they were expecting twins, a boy and a girl. Having previously had a daughter together in 2017, the couple was overjoyed to expand their family further. However, the birth didn’t go as planned. In April of 2022, Rodríguez gave birth to their baby girl, Bella, but their baby boy, Ángel, sadly, didn’t make it.
Ronaldo reflected on the moment, saying, “Probably the worst moment I passed through in my life since my father died.” The loss devastated him and Rodríguez, putting a temporary strain on their relationship. “Me and Gio [Georgina] had difficult moments. It was very, very difficult to understand what is going on in that period of my life,” said the soccer player. The couple was torn between being happy about the birth of their newborn daughter and mourning their son.
In an interview, the legendary soccer player explained that he doesn’t let go of the people he loves easily. His father, José, passed in 2005, but Ronaldo kept a little part of him in the family house. And in the case of Ángel, Ronaldo knew exactly where he belonged. “[My son’s] ashes are with me, like my daddy, they are here in the house. It is something that I want to hold for the rest of my life and not throw to the ocean or to the sea,” said Ronaldo.
Moreover, Ronaldo believes that our loved ones don’t leave us forever, as he can feel his father and his late son close to him and turn to them during hard times. He admitted, “I talk with them all the time, and they are on my side. You know they help me to be a better man, to be a better person, to be a better father.”
In the end, Ronaldo and Rodríguez realized that they had 5 beautiful children to love and care for, and that’s how they got back to normal. Rodríguez said, “I had the answer nearer than I thought. I looked into the eyes of my children, and there I saw the only way of doing it, being all together.”
Of course, they had to explain to the children what had happened, which was a tough task to handle. Ronaldo recalled that once they returned home, the kids kept asking, “Where is the other baby? Where is the other baby?” So the couple decided not to hide anything and tell them everything. Now, Ronaldo says the kids even mention Ángel like he’s still part of the family, and they honor his memory in their own sweet ways.
What was the hardest loss you’ve ever had to go through? How did you manage to heal?
I can't imagine what a heartbreaking trial this would put a family through. I'm so glad that they've found a way to grieve the loss of their son and brother. I'm also very happy for them that they've found a way to honor him in their lives and to find a way forward together. I wish them all the best in their journey.
