Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that one of the twins he was expecting with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez has died.

In a Monday, April 18, Instagram statement, he wrote, “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel.” Ronaldo added, “Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness.”

He went on to thank “the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support,” writing that, “We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time.” Ronaldo concluded his statement with, “Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”

Ronaldo last shared an Instagram photo of his family on April 3, which included a heavily pregnant Georgina. In it, his son, Cristiano Jr., 11, twins Eva and Matteo, 4, and daughter Alana, also 4, were all visible while relaxing on the green grass of an open field during a chilly spring day. Next to it, he wrote, “Family is everything.”

The couple confirmed in October 2021 that Georgina was pregnant with twins. “Our hearts are full of love — we can’t wait to meet you. #blessed,” the athlete wrote on Instagram as the couple showed off sonogram photos of the babies. 

Two months later, the pair shared the sexes of their twins — a boy and a girl — in an adorable gender reveal video. Two balloons exploded, revealing that one was filled with pink confetti while the other contained blue. The couple has been together since 2017.

Ronaldo has not revealed the identity of the mother of his eldest son. He announced during the 2010 World Cup that he was going about to become a first-time father via a Facebook post. “The mother of the baby and I have agreed, as she prefers that his identity be kept confidential, that my son remains under my exclusive guardianship,” Ronaldo wrote on the social media platform. Cristiano Jr. was born on June 17, 2010, in San Diego, California.

In June 2017, Ronaldo revealed he fathered twins using a surrogate mother in the United States, while Georgina gave birth to Alana the following November.