Ronaldo 'Paid An American Woman to Have His Baby Son'

KOMPAS.com - Cristiano Ronaldo paid a surrogate mother to have his son, it was claimed yesterday as the mystery surrounding his shock fatherhood announcement grew. According to a Portuguese newspaper, this is the reason why the £180,0000-a-week footballer said he was to have sole custody of the child.

It is believed the mother is an American woman who has asked not to be identified. After Ronaldo, 25, made the announcement on his website over the weekend it was claimed the baby was born as a result of a fling, and the woman had been paid to stay anonymous.

But Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias has now claimed the baby was conceived with a surrogate mother at the end of last summer in San Diego, where the Real Madrid star was on holiday.

A spokesman for Ronaldo's management company Gestifute confirmed he had become a father but refused to comment on the surrogacy claims. He was said to have flown home to Portugal to see the baby as soon as the national team was knocked out of the World Cup.

Ronaldo, who had a poor campaign with the Portuguese national side, left South Africa last week after his team was beaten by Spain in the last 16. In the early hours of Sunday the former Manchester United player wrote on the internet: 'It is with great joy and emotion that I inform I have recently become a father to a baby boy.

'As agreed with the baby's mother, who prefers to have her identity kept confidential, my son will be under my exclusive guardianship.'

There were also reports yesterday that the person most surprised by the news was the footballer's latest in a long string of glamorous girlfriends - Russian underwear model Irina Shayk, 24.

According to a Facebook page in her name she knew nothing of the birth and had been left in tears by her boyfriend's announcement. A spokesman for Miss Shayk later denied she had said anything of the sort, and said the Facebook page was a fake.

The couple enjoyed a day out together in new York City on Sunday. 'Tthey're trying to create a relationship,' the spokesman added.

The footballer's sister Katia Aveiro was a little more forthcoming. Speaking at her home in Vilamoura on the Algarve in Portugal, she said the baby - reportedly born weighing 9lbs 8oz on June 17 - had made her brother 'very happy'.

The child is now said to be in the care of other members of Ronaldo's family in Vilamoura, including his mother Dolores. In a recent interview the star had been asked if he wanted to have children. He replied that the day might come 'sooner rather than later'.