11 Things You Didn’t Know About Georgina Rodriguez, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Girlfriend

This story was originally published in January 2022, and has been updated.

Georgina Rodriguez is known for being drop-dead gorgeous, amassing 29.7 million followers on her Instagram, and as per her Instagram biography, being una “vividora de la vida” and “soñadora de los sueños.”

The model and influencer is soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo’s longtime partner, and is often spotted living the high life with him, his children Cristiano Jr., Eva Maria and Mateo, plus the daughter they share named Alana. Rodriguez and Ronaldo are clearly a match made in heaven, near-inseparable since their initial meeting back in 2016. Even as Georgina is now pregnant with twins, they still manage to jet around the world, go out to Cristiano Jr.’s soccer games, and have epic Christmas gatherings with family. While many soccer fans know that the couple are devoted to one another, few know about Rodriguez’s background before meeting Ronaldo.

While Rodriguez’s fairytale romance with the soccer player is one for the books, her life hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies. In fact, as her Netflix special “I Am Georgina” nears its January 27 premiere, fans are now preparing for a never-before-seen glimpse into her life. The model’s past is a true whirlwind, coming from humble beginnings and dealing with adversity — here’s everything you need to know!

1. Rodriguez was born in Argentina but soon moved to Spain.

Ronaldo’s longtime partner was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 27, 1994, making her 27 years old. She is half Spanish and half Argentinian, and moved to Jaca, Spain as a little girl. She also reportedly dealt with humble upbringings as a child.

2. Her father was reportedly a convicted cocaine trafficker.

According to The Sun, Georgina’s father Jorge Rodriguez was a cocaine trafficker who was sentenced to ten years in jail. The Daily Mail also states that her Argentinian father was banned from returning to Spain back in 2013, and completed his ten-year sentence after being convicted of drug trafficking. He reportedly died back in 2019 after complications from a stroke two and a half years prior.

3. Rodriguez’s first passion was dance.

As a little girl, Rodriguez couldn’t get enough of dancing. She dreamed of becoming a professional ballet dancer, but her parents couldn’t afford to pay for her lessons. However, she showed off her tango moves while hosting the Sanremo Italian Song Festival in 2020, and her performance was stunning. Even Ronaldo could be seen absolutely in love.

4. By the age of 17, she headed to Great Britain to learn English.

As per The Sun, Rodriguez first moved to Huesca as a teenager to get a job as a waitress, where she lived in a small home with several roommates. Frustrated, she packed up and left to San Sebastián, where she worked in the store Massimo Dutti. Once she realized she had to learn English to work in major luxury stores, she moved to Bristol, England at 17-years-old to work as an au pair and sharpen up the language.

5. She also tried her hand at modeling.

After learning dance on her own terms and perfecting her English in the U.K., Rodriguez reportedly went into the modeling world. Not much is known about her early modeling shoots, but she often shows her skills as of late modeling for brands like Yamamay and Sheglam. She has also graced the covers of Cosmopolitan, L’Officiel Arabia, and Women’s Health Portugal.

6. Back in Madrid, she faced economic difficulties.

Once Rodriguez perfected her English, she moved to Madrid to make it in the luxury retail world. However, her beginnings were anything but picture perfect. She reportedly lived in an apartment that was once a storage room, couldn’t afford central heating or A/C, and dealt with all kinds of financial hardship.

7. Georgina met Cristiano while working at a Gucci store in 2016.

In 2016, the model and influencer landed a job working at a Gucci store in Madrid’s Serrano street. That same year, she met Ronaldo when he visited the store. She told Grazia magazine, “his height, his body, his beauty caught my attention. I was trembling in front of him, but a spark ignited.” In her upcoming show “I Am Georgina,” Rodriguez is quoted saying, “before, I sold handbags in Serrano. Now I collect them.”

8. The model says she felt “love at first sight” when first meeting Ronaldo.

Although Rodriguez has said she was “very shy,” when initially meeting the soccer star, she explained he “touched” her deeply. In fact, she has said it was “love at first sight” for both of them. They met up at a Dolce & Gabbana event a few days later where they were able to “talk in a relaxed atmosphere,” and the rest is history. 

9. She was fired when her boss found out about the romance.

Incredibly enough, once the Gucci store caught wind of the pair’s romance, they quickly fired the model and influencer after eight months. Their reasoning? That fans would invade the store and try to take pictures of Rodriguez. Once that happened, Ronaldo’s contacts helped her find a job at Prada in El Corte Ingles, a Spanish department store.

10. Today, Rodriguez is living the high life, but still says it’s pretty “ordinary.”

While Georgina often posts gorgeous outfit pictures decked out in brands like Gucci, Versace, and Hermès, she still told Elle Italy that their life is “ordinary” (well, if private jets were average!). As depicted on the model’s Instagram page, her priority is her family, consisting of their children ranging in age from four to 11, and the twins she will soon give birth to. She has said that she regularly gets breakfast and lunch done for her kids, and gets them ready for school.

11. She has a best-selling clothing line called OM by G.

There’s no doubt Rodriguez has always been una mujer empoderada, grabbing the bull by the horns and moving cities in search of opportunities — whether as an au pair in England or working retail in San Sebastián. Although her partner Ronaldo is soccer’s first billionaire, and they regularly jet or sail around the world on luxurious vacations, she has her own business, too. Her clothing line OM by G is made up of comfortable activewear and athleisure, and the entire family celebrated the launch on a rooftop last year.