Thousands of Cristiano Ronaldo fans gathered outside Funchal Cathedral and the Savoy Palace on Saturday after mistakenly believing they would witness the Portuguese footballer marry his fiancee, Georgina Rodriguez.
The crowds had travelled to the capital of Portugal’s Madeira archipelago after reports circulated that Ronaldo and Rodriguez would celebrate their wedding on 8 August. However, the information was wrong, and the expected ceremony never took place.
The confusion followed a report by British newspaper The Sun earlier in the week claiming that the couple would marry at Funchal Cathedral before moving to the five-star Savoy Palace hotel for the reception.
The hotel, which has four restaurants, was reportedly preparing for the event, with two floors said to have been set aside for the occasion.
Those reports prompted Ronaldo supporters to gather around the cathedral and hotel for several hours. They waited in the hope of seeing the Portugal and Al-Nassr forward, alongside Rodriguez, as the supposed wedding arrangements unfolded.
Excitement grew whenever a classic car approached the area. Some fans could be heard shouting: “This is it! This is it!” Others reportedly speculated that a group of people arriving at the hotel could be friends of Ronaldo, according to French broadcaster RMC.
The anticipated appearance by the footballer and his fiancee did not happen. Instead, the couple seen outside the cathedral were Fabio Santos Ramos and Fatima Nicole Cunha Teixeira, a local pair who now live in France.
The cathedral’s official Facebook account commented on the unusual scenes after the wedding ceremony had ended.
“After a lot of confusion in the street, with this large number of journalists and tourists, we finally managed to close the church and celebrate,” it said.
The newlyweds appeared to enjoy the unexpected attention created by the false reports. One guest told Diario de Noticias da Madeira: “We feel like celebrities.”
The guest added: “I find it amazing that these people think Ronaldo is getting married today without security.”
Ronaldo and Rodriguez have been in a relationship for several years and became engaged in 2025. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward has five children, including a daughter with Rodriguez, and the pair regularly appear together in public and on social media.
The mistaken gathering in Funchal nevertheless demonstrated the scale of interest surrounding Ronaldo, whose personal life continues to attract worldwide attention alongside his career in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr.
