What to Know About Cristiano Ronaldo’s Parents, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro
Cristiano Ronaldo credits his parents, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro, for helping him become one of the greatest soccer players of all time.
The Al-Nassr FC striker and six-time World Cup player grew up with his parents and three older siblings in Funchal, the capital city of the Portuguese island of Madeira.
José was a soccer fan and worked as a kit man for a local soccer club, where he would sometimes bring along a young Ronaldo, while Maria worked as a cleaner and a cook. Ronaldo credits both his parents for supporting his soccer career.
José died in September 2005, but the Portugal national team captain continues to remember him through tributes on social media and by sharing rare stories during interviews. Since then, Maria has remained a constant support system for her son, who has been by her side through health scares.
Here’s everything to know about Cristiano Ronaldo’s parents, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro.
Ronaldo’s parents had different professions
Cristiano Ronaldo’s mom, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, poses near water in a photo shared on Instagram on Dec. 8, 2023
Growing up, Maria worked as a cleaner and cook before eventually opening her own Portuguese restaurant in Brazil, Casa Aveiro by Dolores. She later launched her own wine label, with the majority of the varieties produced in Portugal, per Marca.
Meanwhile, José was a gardener and a part-time kit man for a local soccer team, CF Andorinha. According to The New York Times, when Ronaldo was 12 years old in the late 1990s, José was the equipment manager for Andorinha’s senior team.
Before pursuing his soccer career, José had been enlisted to fight for Portugal in the Angolan War of Independence in the 1970s, ESPN reported. Upon his return, he began working odd jobs to help support his family.
Maria and José welcomed four children
Cristiano Ronaldo (center) poses with fiancée Georgina Rodriguez (second from left), his sisters Elma Aveiro and Katia Aveiro, mom Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro (far right) and his son Cristiano Jr. onstage following the Best FIFA Football Awards 2016 ceremony in Zurich on Jan. 9, 2017
Credit: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty
Maria and José shared four children, who they raised in the parish of Santo António in Funchal, Madeira.
They welcomed a son, Hugo, followed by daughters Elma and Liliana Cátia, according to The Guardian. The latter is a singer better known as Katia.
Maria and José then welcomed Ronaldo on Feb. 5, 1985. The athlete’s mother chose the name Cristiano, and his father picked Ronaldo, after then-President Ronald Reagan, who was his favorite actor.
José died in 2005
Cristiano Ronaldo poses with his children next to a painting of his father, José Dinis Aveiro, in a photo shared on Instagram on Sept. 30, 2017
Credit: Cristiano Ronaldo/Instagram
José died of alcohol-related liver failure in September 2005, according to Hola!. He was 52.
During a conversation with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo became emotional after watching a video of his father he hadn’t seen before, in which José spoke about one of his son’s games.
“I’m proud to see my son in this situation,” Ronaldo’s dad said in the clip. “I could go to Lisbon to see the final, but my nerves are too much. I get too anxious, I can’t do it. It’s better to see the game on TV.”
According to Ronaldo, he was overwhelmed by the fact that José never saw his successes.
“For me, it’s made me sad because … to be No. 1 and he [didn’t] see [anything], he didn’t see me receive awards, didn’t see what I [became],” he said.
Over the years, Ronaldo has paid tribute to his father. In 2017, he shared a photo on X of himself with his son Cristiano Jr. and his newborn twins Eva and Mateo next to a painting of José.
He also dedicated the goal that helped Al-Nassr win the AFC Champions League Elite in 2024 to his father.
“Today’s goal had a different flavor. I would love for my father to be alive because today is his birthday,” Ronaldo said after the game, per ESPN.
Maria has an impressive following on social media
Cristiano Ronaldo and his mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, in a photo shared on Instagram on Feb. 20, 2023
Credit: Maria Dolores/Instagram
Ronaldo may have a whopping 670 million followers on Instagram (he surpassed Selena Gomez in 2018 as the most-followed person on Instagram, a title he still holds), but his mom’s social media fan count isn’t too shabby either.
Maria has 4.6 million followers on Instagram, where she enjoys sharing photos of herself and her family. She also has a “Familia Amigos” highlight dedicated to posts of Ronaldo, her grandkids and other friends.
Among the photos she’s pinned on her Instagram feed are her family celebrating Christmas together in December 2021 — including Ronaldo, his fiancée Georgina Rodríguez and their children — and her and Ronaldo giving thumbs-up in June 2022.
Ronaldo’s mother found love again
Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, with her partner, José Andrade, in a photo shared on Instagram on Feb. 17, 2023
Credit: Maria Dolores/Instagram
After the death of her husband, Maria started dating José Andrade, though their romantic timeline is unknown. They often post photos of each other on Instagram, and it seems that Andrade has a good relationship with her son, too.
After Ronaldo moved from Real Madrid to Juventus in 2018, Andrade posted a photo of the pair toasting the news on Instagram.
During Ronaldo’s time at Juventus, Andrade shared photos of himself at the team’s stadium and with Ronaldo’s kids. He’s also posted on Instagram about Ronaldo’s achievements, such as Al-Nassr’s Saudi Pro League title win in May 2026, which he captioned, “Congratulations champion 🏆💪,” and celebrated Ronaldo on Instagram for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s birthday.
Maria has experienced health issues
Cristiano Ronaldo and Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro in a photo shared on Instagram on Oct. 14, 2025
Credit: Maria Dolores/Instagram
Maria was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and was declared cancer free two years later. She was treated for breast cancer again in 2019, this time in her other breast, and received radiotherapy, per the U.K.’s Metro.
In 2020, Maria suffered a stroke, and her family — including Ronaldo, who was playing in Italy — traveled to be by her side. According to Sports Illustrated, she underwent surgery, and shortly after, Ronaldo expressed his gratitude to the healthcare workers who helped her.
“Thank you for all your messages of support for my mum,” he wrote on X in March 2020. “She is currently stable and recovering in hospital. Me and my family would like to thank the medical team looking after her, and kindly ask that we are all given some privacy at this time.”
She has since appeared to make a full recovery.
Maria and José encouraged Ronaldo’s career in different ways
Manchester United’s midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with his mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, and the English Premier League trophy after the 0-0 draw with Arsenal in the English Premier League football match in Manchester, England, on May 16, 2009
Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty
Although José didn’t witness Ronaldo’s full potential before his death, he acknowledged Maria’s role in helping their son reach the top.
In the video Morgan showed Ronaldo for the first time in their 2019 interview, José praised his wife’s efforts.
“[Maria] is indispensable. She gives him care,” Ronaldo’s dad said. “She is his bodyguard; he gets five-star attention.”
The soccer star has also recognized her through heartfelt tributes, even when there isn’t a special occasion.
“My mother is, without any doubt, [courageous],” he wrote on Instagram in December 2014. “I feel very thankful and proud to be her son and to have her in my life.”
