Updated: Aug 14, 2026, 21:22 IST
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez kept their wedding deliberately small, but a newly surfaced marriage certificate has revealed that the ceremony was attended by more people than initially reported. The document shows that, alongside the couple’s five children, four witnesses were present when Ronaldo and Rodríguez formally married in a private civil ceremony in Cascais on August 11.The identities of those witnesses also provide a clearer picture of who was inside the intimate ceremony, and notably, Ronaldo’s mother Dolores Aveiro and his sisters Elma and Katia were not among them.
Four witnesses were present at the ceremony
The marriage certificate obtained by Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias and reported on by Spanish media states that the ceremony took place at 1.30pm on Tuesday, August 11.The document names four witnesses: Miguel Paixão, Ivana Rodríguez, José Rodríguez Sangil and Mónica González Martínez.Paixão is a longstanding friend of Ronaldo dating back to the footballer’s youth at Sporting, while Ivana is Georgina’s sister. Rodríguez Sangil is described by the Portuguese press as a Spanish jeweller, with González Martínez identified as his wife.That means the ceremony was not attended solely by Ronaldo, Rodríguez and their five children, as earlier reports had suggested. There were four additional witnesses who were required to be present for the civil marriage.The ceremony itself was officiated by Maria Manuel Ferreira de Campos Folhadela de Oliveira, a registrar who travelled from Porto to Cascais to conduct the marriage.According to the certificate, the ceremony took place at the couple’s home in Cascais. A report from The Sun identified the property as Ronaldo’s approximately £30 million mansion in the Quinta da Marinha area, around 35 kilometres from Lisbon.
Ronaldo’s mother and sisters were absent
The newly revealed guest details are particularly notable because none of Ronaldo’s immediate female family members were listed among the witnesses.His mother, Dolores Aveiro, was not present, nor were his sisters Elma Aveiro and Katia Aveiro.Ronaldo’s brother Hugo was also not among those listed.The absence of his mother is notable given her public support for the marriage. After Ronaldo announced the wedding on Instagram with a photograph of the couple’s wedding rings and the caption “C❤️G”, Dolores responded with a heart, publicly signalling her blessing for the union.There has also been speculation over the years about the relationship between Dolores and Rodríguez, although the family has previously pushed back against suggestions of a serious rift.
The five children were still at the centre of the wedding
The presence of the children remains consistent with the information previously provided by Ronaldo’s representative.When the marriage was first confirmed, the representative said Ronaldo and Rodríguez had married in a “private and intimate” civil ceremony in Cascais, adding that it was attended by their five children.Those children are Cristiano Jr, twins Eva and Mateo, Alana Martina and Bella.The new certificate does not contradict that account; rather, it adds four witnesses to the picture and identifies the people who were there in an official capacity for the civil ceremony.The result was still a remarkably small wedding for one of the world’s most recognisable footballers.
Their marriage arrangements were also kept private
The certificate reveals another significant detail about how Ronaldo and Rodríguez organised their marriage.The couple chose a separation of property regime, meaning that, as a general rule, each spouse retains ownership of assets they already possessed before the marriage as well as property acquired afterwards.That arrangement is not the default marital regime in Portugal. The document shows that Ronaldo and Rodríguez therefore signed a prenuptial agreement on August 10, one day before the wedding, at a notary’s office in Lisbon.The certificate also states that neither adopted the other’s surname following the marriage. They continue to use their existing names and list Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as their usual place of residence.
It was a very different wedding from the one fans expected
The secrecy surrounding the ceremony became even more striking because of what happened only days earlier.Hundreds of supporters, journalists and tourists had gathered outside Funchal Cathedral in Madeira after reports claimed Ronaldo and Rodríguez would marry there. The footballer was born in Madeira, making the location an obvious focal point for fans hoping to see the couple.They were waiting for the wrong wedding.The ceremony at the cathedral belonged to another couple, Fabio Ramos and Fatima Nicole Cunha Teixeira, and Ronaldo himself later appeared to find the confusion amusing after footage circulated showing the crowds waiting outside for him and Rodríguez.The actual ceremony took place several days later, away from the crowds, at the couple’s home in Cascais.Ronaldo and Rodríguez had been together since 2016 and announced their engagement in August 2025.
Ronaldo returns as Al-Nassr season begins
Ronaldo and Rodríguez were spotted at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport on Thursday with their children, reportedly heading back to Saudi Arabia. The 41-year-old is now set to return to Al-Nassr as the club begins its 2026–27 season on August 15, with their Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Fateh at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh at 11:30pm IST.And footage has since emerged of Ronaldo being congratulated by his teammates following his wedding, with the Portuguese star proudly wearing his new wedding ring as he returns to football duties.
