New Delhi: The rumours of football player Cristiano Ronaldo’s wedding with his longtime partner Georgina Rodríguez sent fans storming to a cathedral in his hometown, Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madeira on Saturday. A different couple was getting married, not Ronaldo.
The footballer has responded to the chaos by laughing it off.
Media reports and online speculation had suggested that the Portugal captain and Al Nassr star would tie the knot in his hometown that afternoon. Ronaldo’s family had publicly denied any such plans, but the rumours outweighed the denial. Crowds lined the streets with phones and cameras raised, waiting for a glimpse of the celebrity couple.
When the bride finally arrived, it became clear she was not Georgina Rodríguez. The realisation spread quickly through the gathered crowd that they had made a mistake.
Sé Cathedral later confirmed the mix-up on its official Facebook page.
“Congratulations to the couple Nicole and Fábio,” the post read. “After a lot of confusion on the street with so many journalists and tourists, we finally managed to close the church and celebrate.”
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Unprecedented scenes
A second post noted the unprecedented scene.
“We’ve never seen anything like this here in Sé. It was very difficult for the bride to enter the Sé church to get married.”
Guests of the real wedding party appeared to love it.
“We feel like celebrities,” they told the local newspaper Diario de Noticias da Madeira. “I find it impressive that these people think Ronaldo would get married today without security.”
Ronaldo commented on an Instagram post from Jornal da Madeira that documented the scene with a string of laughing-crying emojis. He did not comment further on any actual wedding plans.
Rodríguez and the footballer got engaged in August 2025, when he presented her with a ring estimated at up to 30 carats and valued at as much as $5 million. The couple has since remained private about a wedding date.