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Cristiano Ronaldo, regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, has married his longtime partner Georgina Rodriguez after a decade-long relationship. Rodriguez, widely known simply as Georgina, has now formalized her family with Ronaldo, with whom she shares five children. / Ronaldo's personal social media

Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (41, Al Nassr) has finally tied the knot. Nearly as famous for his string of high-profile relationships as for his illustrious playing career, Ronaldo has married after a relationship spanning close to a decade. His bride is Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez (32), widely known simply as Georgina.

Ronaldo married Rodriguez on the 11th (local time) in Cascais, Portugal. The ceremony was small, attended by the couple's five children. Ronaldo announced the news himself on social media, posting a photo of the two wearing their wedding rings alongside a caption connecting their initials with a heart.

The wedding came exactly one year after the couple announced their engagement. Rodriguez revealed the engagement on August 12 last year, posting a photo showing off a large diamond ring with a caption expressing her commitment to Ronaldo across this life and every life.

Ronaldo's romantic history has been eventful. After rising to global stardom, his relationships with various well-known models and media personalities repeatedly drew public attention. He dated Russian model Irina Shayk publicly for about five years starting in 2010, and was also linked romantically to celebrities including Kim Kardashian. A rendezvous with hotel heiress Paris Hilton once made headlines worldwide.

But the woman who has remained in Ronaldo's life the longest is Rodriguez. The two first met in 2016, when Rodriguez was working as a sales associate at a Gucci store, and their relationship developed from there. They publicly confirmed they were dating the following year.

In a past appearance on Rodriguez's Netflix reality series, Ronaldo recalled their first meeting, describing her as far more mature than her age and a genuinely fascinating woman. He also admitted, at the time, that he never expected the relationship to last this long.

Ten years is a substantial stretch even within Ronaldo's illustrious football career. Through his time at Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Juventus — during which he reigned as one of the world's best players — his relationship with Rodriguez endured. The couple has two daughters together, Alana and Bella, and together they raise five children in total, including Ronaldo's eldest son, Cristiano Jr., and twins Eva Maria and Mateo, from a previous relationship.

The wedding is particularly notable for coming as Ronaldo approaches what is effectively the final chapter of his playing career. Currently with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, Ronaldo recently competed in his sixth World Cup, continuing what looks to be one of the last challenges of his football journey.

Ronaldo has drawn global attention throughout his career for his goals, trophies, and headline-making relationships. In the end, the person he chose was Rodriguez, who stood by him for a decade. Still competing on the pitch for the title of the world's greatest goalscorer, Ronaldo now begins a new chapter in life, having formally united with his longtime partner.

                                                                                                         Cheon Hyun-bin