Cristiano Ronaldohas publicly shared the first family picture with his newborn daughter following the tragic loss of her twin.
The Manchester United star and his long-term girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez announced back in October 2021 that they were expecting a second set of twins, but issued a joint statement on social media on Monday evening to reveal with the “deepest sadness” that their newborn son had passed away.
The couple confirmed the birth of their baby girl, and said the arrival of their daughter gave them “the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness”.
They said it was “the greatest pain any parents could feel”.
Now, for the first time since announcing the heartbreaking loss, the Portuguese striker and his partner have taken to Instagram to share a family photo of them together with Cristiano’s eldest son, Cristiano Jr, twins Eva and Mateo, the couple’s shared daughter Alana, and of course, their newborn baby girl – whose name has not yet been revealed.
The couple have also spoken out for the first time since their statement confirming the loss, and have thanked the public for all their messages of love and support.
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Cristiano said on Instagram: “Home sweet home. Gio and our baby girl are finally together with us. We want to thank everyone for all the kind words and gestures. Your support is very important and we all felt the love and respect that you have for our family.
“Now it’s time to be grateful for the life that we’ve just welcomed into this world.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and long-term girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez announced they were expecting twins in October 2021 / Credit: Cristiano Ronaldo (via Instagram)
The family photo was shared shortly after Cristiano had also taken to Instagram to personally thank the Manchester United and Liverpool fans who put a decades-long rivalry aside and came together to pay an emotional tribute to his son.
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The two North West clubs with a historic and bitter rivalry faced each other in a Premier League clash at Liverpool’s home ground Anfield on Tuesday evening, but ahead of the match, both teams observed a moment of silence and wore black arm bands in tribute, before the stadium erupted in thunderous applause on the seventh minute – a reference to the shirt number Cristiano has notably worn throughout his career.
Liverpool fans not only joined Manchester United fans in the applause, but some were also heard chanting a rendition of their adopted anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone.
The tribute was described by many as the “moment of the game”.
Sharing a now-viral video of the tribute and thanking fans for their support on Instagram, Cristiano said: “One world… One sport… One global family… Thanks, Anfield. Me and my family will never forget this moment of respect and compassion.”
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7-minutes in, Liverpool and Man United fans show their support for Cristiano Ronaldo and his family. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/5TCxj5oxKO
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2022
The couple’s statement released on Monday confirming their tragic loss read in full: “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 and only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support.
“We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time.
“Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”
11 men arrested following ‘busy’ day of protests and marches in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
11 men have been arrested following a ‘busy’ day of protests and marches in Manchester city centre over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said several demonstrations – the most noteworthy being that of the widely-reported Britain First march – took place ‘peacefully’ across central Manchester at the weekend, particularly on Saturday (21 February), with officers working closely with organisers to ensure people could protest ‘safely’.
Police were also on-hand to ensure that wider disruption to the general public around the city centre was ‘kept to a minimum’ as best as possible.
A ‘significant’ policing operation was said to be in place throughout Saturday – with additional resources deployed and pre-prepared plans activated by GMP, alongside partner agencies, to help the day run smoothly.
While the demonstrations on the day were described by authorities as ‘peaceful’, 11 people were arrested on suspicion on a range of offences.
These included two men on suspicion of prevention of a breach of the peace, four men on suspicion of public order offences, and one man on suspicion of assault, just to name a few.
Two of the 11 were de-arrested, while the nine others were taken to police custody, and a section 34 dispersal order was subsequently put in place until 8pm that evening (21 February), allowing police to direct people to leave the area.
11 people have been arrested following a ‘busy’ day of protests in Manchester / Credit: GMP
Speaking following the demonstrations and arrests made over the weekend, Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson, who was the gold commander for policing operation, commented: “Manchester was expected to be extremely busy today, with multiple planned protests in the city centre as well as several football matches.
“We put extra officers on duty to support people’s right to protest peacefully, while reducing the impact on the wider public.
“Thanks to the efforts of our officers on the ground and the planning done with our partners, hundreds of people from a range of groups were able to come together safely, with no significant issues reported.
“Greater Manchester is a place where people can confidently and lawfully express their views, while ensuring that residents, workers, and visitors can go about their day feeling safe.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Microdot exhibit for BRITs 2026: the artwork of Oasis, Verve and more up in Manchester Piccadilly
Danny Jones
If you’ve passed through Manchester Piccadilly of late, you might have noticed two things: one, it’s really quiet, and two, there’s loads of cool Britpop merch and memorabilia on display, including original Oasis, The Verve, Inspiral Carpets art and more – all courtesy of Microdot.
Set up as part of the city’s own BRITs celebrations, along with a raft of other nationwide festivities, as the annual music award ceremony prepares to make its Manc debut at the Co-op Live this month, the showcase features special edition frames and more, all pride of place in the middle of the train station.
This collection, simply entitled ‘A Microdot Design’, is all done by the legendary Brian Cannon, the graphic designer and art director behind so much recognisable visual material within the genre.
We recently had the honour of speaking to the man himself in person ahead of Piccadilly’s temporary closure; you can see our interview with him right here:
The Wigan-born artist and visionary didn’t just make promotional materials for some of the biggest bands in the 1990s; he’s responsible for what has gone on to become some of the most familiar iconography in British music history.
With this pop-up exhibit available for a limited time only, we strongly urge you to go along and, for once, take your time rather than rushing around the station as you peruse the boards placed right near the main entrance.
Charting his work from circa 1990 up until now, it’s crazy to see just how many of Brian and Microdot’s fingerprints are all over so many different bands and artists.
From native names like Oasis, The Verve and the Inspirals, as mentioned, as well as the likes of Cast, Super Furry Animals, Suede and Ash, plus so many more, this guy has been nothing short of prolific over the past few decades.
Audio North took a little tour of the King Street South unit last year in the lead-up to Oasis Live ’25 reunion world tour, and we felt like kids in a Britpop sweetshop.
While this site has sadly since closed, shutting up shop back in July, Brian’s mini, modest, but nevertheless magic Microdot Boutique up in the Lake District is still standing.
Located in the popular North West town and tourist attraction, Kendal, it’s worth a trip there to see more of his portfolio alone.
Currently on display at Manchester Piccadilly ahead of the full 2026 BRITs Week and shindig at Co-op Live, it’s one of the best completely free things you can do in town at the moment – but the exhibition finishes on Sunday, 1 March, so make sure you don’t miss it.
Speaking of the BRIT Awards, if you’re wondering what else is on as 0161 gets ready welcome them for their two-year stint (at least), look no further…
Emily Sergeant -
22nd April 2022 
