More than 2,000 fans packed the streets outside a cathedral on the Portuguese island of Madeira on Saturday, convinced they were about to witness one of the biggest celebrity weddings in World football. Rumours had swirled for weeks that Cristiano Ronaldo was preparing to marry his long-time partner Georgina Rodriguez in his home city, despite his family publicly denying any such plans.
As per ESPN, the speculation was enough to draw huge crowds into the centre of Funchal, all hoping for a glimpse of the happy couple arriving at the Cathedral. What they got instead was a case of mistaken identity that went viral.
Wrong Wedding for Fans
Rumours had spread fast that some of the biggest celebrities would take to the streets of Madeira to witness Ronaldo marry Rodriguez over the weekend. Instead, the ceremony taking place inside the Cathedral belonged to a couple called Fabio and Nicole, who live in France but had returned to their home island to get married.
The crowd reportedly erupted as Nicole stepped out of a car, only to quickly realise she was not Georgina Rodriguez. Guests were left stunned by the scale of attention, with some fans choosing to stay for the ceremony, regardless of who it was getting married in the Cathedral.
Some guests had begged crowds to leave the couple to be married in peace, whilst others took the mix-up in lighthearted fashion, joking that they felt like celebrities for the day.
Ronaldo Sees The Funny Side in His Response
The confusion wasn’t confined to the Cathedral. Large crowds were also reportedly outside a five-star hotel in Funchal, which was rumoured to host the reception. Ronaldo’s sister, Elma Aveiro, weighed in publicly, questioning why fans had believed reports that were never officially confirmed by the family, and accusing the media of inventing details.
Ronaldo himself appeared to have found the episode amusing. Responding with a string of cry-laughing emojis to a Jornal da Madeira Instagram post showing footage of the crowds.
The Al Nassr forward has stayed quiet about when he and Rodriguez actually plan to marry. The pair got engaged in August last year, with Ronaldo presenting Rodriguez with a ring rumoured to be worth as much as $5 million. Reports since have suggested a wedding could take place in Madeira later in the year, but for now, the only wedding confirmed in Funchal this weekend belonged to Nicole and Fabio, who got considerably more attention than they bargained for.
