7 times Cristiano Ronaldo proved that family beats football, from spoiling girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez with Cartier and LV, to buying his mum a US$2.6 million home and admitting he wants 7 kids
- Ronaldo bought his mum a Porsche for her birthday and a Mercedes-Benz for Mothers’ Day, and paid for his brother Hugo’s rehab when he was just 16
- He also paid for Lady Gaga and J-Lo’s producer to work with his sister Katia at the start of her music career, and his brother Hugo now manages his CR7 Museu in Madeira
“It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel,” they said in a joint statement. “Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”
The couple added that the birth of their baby girl was nevertheless giving them “strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness”.
The truth is that family has always come first for the footballing superstar, even before the fame. Here’s how ...
1. Saying his mother is his “sanctuary” and “greatest gift”
That’s how Ronaldo has reportedly described his mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, who he said made huge sacrifices during his tough childhood. “She went to bed hungry to feed me. We had no money. She worked seven days a week and worked nights as a cleaner to buy me a pair of football boots so I could play,” he was quoted as saying by Unique Times. “My whole success is dedicated to her. And as long as she lives, she will always have everything I can give her.”
Ronaldo has kept his promise. In 2009, after being bought by Real Madrid for a record-breaking US$131.5 million, he bought his mother a US$2.6 million house in the city, according to British media. Reports also detail how he gifted her a Porsche on her birthday back in 2015, and a US$10,800 Mercedes-Benz on Mother’s Day in 2020. He also reportedly regularly splashes out around US$6,300 for his mum and her friends to fly to Cabo Verde and play boules on the beach together.