Cristiano Ronaldo Honors Late Father with Goal Dedication

Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to pay tribute to his late father after scoring a vital goal for Al-Nassr in a key Saudi Pro League match. The Portuguese star scored with a header to make it 2-0 following Sadio Mane’s early goal in a high-stakes top-of-the-table game. Ronaldo looked skyward and pointed upwards, seemingly in homage to his father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, who passed away over 20 years ago.

Jose Dinis Aveiro died of liver failure in 2005 at the age of 52, just days before what would have been his 72nd birthday. Ronaldo, now 40, has consistently expressed his longing to honor his father through his football achievements. Last year, he dedicated a goal against Al-Rayyan in the Asian Champions League, mentioning: “Today’s goal feels different… I wish my father was alive because today is his birthday.”

Cristiano Ronaldo honored his father by pointing to the heavens after scoring.

Jose Dinis Aveiro, Ronaldo’s father, suffered from alcoholism and died from liver failure.

Remembering His Father

Ronaldo has spoken publicly about his complex relationship with his father, whom he admitted never to have truly known. In a 2019 interview, he was moved to tears when shown a clip of his father praising him just before Euro 2004. His father, a former soldier and alcoholic, died a year later, missing much of Ronaldo’s rise to football stardom, including his five Champions League titles and five Ballon d’Or awards.

Ronaldo as a young boy with his parents. He has admitted he never really knew his father well.

He reflected on his father’s struggles, affected by wars in Mozambique and Angola, and expressed regret that his father never saw his success or the awards he received. Friends of his father recall how he often talked proudly about Ronaldo’s potential, though his difficult life led to hardships that included alcoholism and poverty.