Soccer Stars, Clubs Offer Cristiano Ronaldo Support After Death of Newborn

Soccer stars and clubs have taken to social media to offer their condolences to Cristiano Ronaldo, who announced Monday that his baby son had died.

Manchester United, the Premier League club Ronaldo plays for, tagged him in a tweet that read: "Your pain is our pain."

"Sending love and strength to you and the family at this time," the tweet added.

Fellow Manchester player Marcus Rashford also responded to Ronaldo.

"Thoughts are with you and Georgina brother," Rashford tweeted. "I'm so sorry"

Ronaldo announced in an October Instagram post that he and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, were expecting twins. The new message signed by both parents Monday said that their infant son had passed away and that only the birth of their daughter "gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness."

"We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time," the message read. "Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you."

Support and grief from Ronaldo's fans and colleagues alike were evident after he made the announcement. Two other soccer clubs, FC Spartak Moscow and Cádiz CF, replied to Ronaldo's announcement to express their condolences.

The Premier League itself also responded to the tragic news.

"The thoughts and condolences of everyone at the Premier League are with you and your family, Cristiano," the league tweeted.

Former soccer player Sir Kenny Dalglish wrote that he was sending "heartfelt condolences" to Ronaldo and his family after their "unimaginable loss." Mike Phelan, a first-team coach at Manchester United, replied to Ronaldo to say this his thoughts were with him and his family.

Several other soccer stars, including Manchester United players Diogo Dalot and David de Gea, responded to an identical announcement shared on Instagram to express their support and condolences for Ronaldo. Outside of the soccer world, figures ranging from retired sprinter Usain Bolt to broadcaster Piers Morgan spoke out in the comments section under the Instagram post.

Ronaldo, who is from Portugal, is the father to four other children. These include one girl with Rodriguez born in November 2017, another pair of twins welcomed via a surrogate in June 2017 and an 11-year-old son with a former partner whose identity has not been released publicly, according to CNN.

When announcing the new set of twins last year, he captioned a picture showing him and Rodriguez with their ultrasound photos: "Delighted to announce we are expecting twins. Our hearts are full of love—we can't wait to meet you."

Manchester United is scheduled to play against Liverpool on Tuesday, but it was not immediately clear if Ronaldo would be participating.

Newsweek reached out to Manchester United for comment.

Update 4/18/22, 5:25 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information and background.