Photo: Fabrizio Andrea Bertani / Shutterstock / Instagram
Mum's the word.
By Taylor Haynes — Written on Dec 03, 2022
In 2010, Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo shocked the world when he announced that he had become a father to a baby boy despite not being in a public relationship or previously mentioning plans to become a parent.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. was born on June 17, 2010 and, until Ronaldo began dating his now-girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez in 2017, was raised solely by his soccer star father.
Mystery has shrouded the 12-year-old's life from his early years, particularly in relation to his mother's identity.
Who is Cristiano Ronaldo Jr's mother?
After announcing the birth of his son, Ronaldo said that he would be Cristiano Jr's sole guardian.
"It is with great joy and emotion that I inform I have recently become father to a baby boy," he wrote in a June 2010 Facebook announcement. "As agreed with the baby's mother, who prefers to have her identity kept confidential, my son will be under my exclusive guardianship."
Ronaldo has never revealed the identity of his son's mother.
Staying true to the agreement he made with his son's mother, Ronaldo has frequently avoided answering questions about who birthed his son.
In his 2015 documentary, Ronaldo revealed that he does plan to tell his son when the time is right.
“I’m going to tell him the whole truth because he deserves it because he’s my son, but I won’t tell him because people want him to say it,” the now-37-year-old stated.
However, amid the speculation, 4 leading theories about who is the mother of Cristiano Ronaldo's son have emerged.
Theory #1: Irina Shayk
The soccer star began dating the Russian model after meeting on the set of an Armani photoshoot at the beginning of 2010 — meaning Ronaldo's son was likely conceived before the couple met.
Shayk, who is now a mother to a daughter she shares with Bradley Cooper, was never seen pregnant while dating Ronaldo. The model did play an important role in Cristiano Jr's early years before she and his father split in 2015.
Theory #2: Reports of a British student
Other fans have speculated that his son is the result of a one-night stand.
According to the Sunday Mirror, there was talk of Ronaldo Jr.’s mother being a “desperate” British student who took millions in exchange for her silence — but allegedly wanted the baby back.
“A friend of Ronaldo said: “As far as he is concerned, it was her choice, her decision. He says, ‘She has zero rights to my son. She’s not seeing him ever again’.”
Theory #3: An American waitress
Other tabloids speculated that Ronaldo had a one-night stand with an American waitress who he met in a Los Angeles restaurant.
The DailyMail claimed the sports star cut off contact with the woman but agreed to do a paternity test once she tracked him down.
"They are a traditional Roman Catholic family and the minute paternity was established there was absolutely no doubt that Ronni would be doing the right thing," a source claimed.
The woman was allegedly paid $10 million for her silence.
Theory #4: An American surrogate
Others have speculated that the child’s mother is an American surrogate, who “asked not to be identified”, according to sources at the Irish Examiner.
In 2017, it was reported by PEOPLE that Ronaldo welcomed twins via a surrogate — which only advanced theories that his first son was also born via a donor.
The twins, Eva and Matteo, were born in June 2017, shortly after the star announced that his girlfriend of several months, Georgina Rodríguez, was pregnant.
Rodríguez gave birth to the couple's next child, a girl named Alana, in November 2017.
In April 2022, Rodríguez and Ronaldo welcomed another set of twins — a boy and a girl named Ángel and Bella. Shortly after his birth, Ángel sadly passed away.
Taylor Haynes is a writer based in Chicago. She writes for Entertainment & News at YourTango. You can find her on Instagram here.