Recent reports circulating on X claim that Cristiano Ronaldo, the 40-year-old Al-Nassr and Portugal national team captain, has offered to support the three children of his late teammate Diogo Jota—Dinis (4), Duarte (2), and Mafalda (8 months)—following Jota’s tragic death in a car accident on July 3, 2025, alongside his brother André Silva.
According to posts on X, Ronaldo, motivated by his own challenging childhood with an alcoholic father, has expressed a desire to financially support or even adopt Jota’s children until they reach adulthood, honoring the wishes of Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, and their family.
Specifically, one post suggests Ronaldo is pursuing adoption procedures for Jota’s eldest son, Dinis, to raise him in Saudi Arabia, where Ronaldo currently plays. However, these claims remain unverified and have ignited significant controversy among fans and observers.
Background and Ronaldo’s Gesture
Diogo Jota, a 28-year-old Liverpool and Portugal forward, died in a car crash in Zamora, Spain, just 11 days after marrying Rute Cardoso on June 22, 2025. The couple shared three children, and Jota’s sudden passing, alongside his brother André, a professional footballer for FC Penafiel, left their family devastated. Ronaldo, who played alongside Jota in Portugal’s UEFA Nations League-winning squad on June 8, 2025, posted an emotional tribute on social media, stating, “It doesn’t make sense.
Just now we were together in the national team, and you had just gotten married. To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world.”
Reports from Portuguese outlet A Bola and others indicate Ronaldo chose not to attend Jota’s funeral on July 5, 2025, in Gondomar, Portugal, to avoid creating a “media circus” that could overshadow the family’s grief. Instead, he reportedly reached out to Rute Cardoso and Jota’s parents, assuring them of his ongoing support.
Some X posts claim Ronaldo offered to cover the children’s expenses until they turn 18, with one suggesting he is pursuing formal adoption of Dinis.
These claims, however, lack confirmation from credible sources like The Guardian or ESPN, and no official statement from Ronaldo or the Jota family has verified the adoption narrative.
