DUBAI: Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez and her longtime partner, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, have shared a romance that has captured hearts for nearly a decade.
The Saudi Arabia-based couple announced their engagement this week in Riyadh, with Rodriguez posting on Instagram: “Yes I do. In this and in all my lives.”
This was alongside a photo of a breathtaking oval-cut diamond ring resting on Ronaldo’s hand.
The ring has quickly become a topic of global fascination. Jewelry experts estimate the center stone to weigh between 22 and 37 carats, flanked by smaller side stones, all set in platinum or white gold.
Messages of congratulations from friends, family and fans have poured in, filling the couple’s comments section and, no doubt, their inboxes and phones.
Their story began in 2016 at a Gucci boutique in Madrid, where Rodriguez worked as a sales assistant. By late 2016, they went public, photographed strolling through Disneyland Paris.
In 2017, they welcomed twins Eva Maria and Mateo, followed later that year by their daughter Alana Martina. In April 2022, the couple had another set of twins, Bella and Angel, though Angel tragically passed away at birth.
Ronaldo’s eldest son, Cristiano Jr., from a previous relationship, also lives with the couple.
When Ronaldo transferred to Juventus in 2018, the family moved to Turin. In 2022, Ronaldo made a career-defining move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, officially relocating to Riyadh in January 2023 with Rodriguez and the children.
The couple have shared glimpses of their life in Saudi Arabia with fans, from romantic dinners in Riyadh to family getaways by the Red Sea.
Over the years, fans have repeatedly speculated about secret wedding plans, particularly in 2020 when Rodriguez was seen wearing a large diamond ring.
And again in 2024 at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, when Ronaldo referred to her as “my wife” during his acceptance speech.
Both have consistently brushed off the speculation. In her Netflix series “I Am Georgina,” Ronaldo said he was “1,000 percent sure” they would wed when the moment felt right.
