Cristiano Ronaldo and his family are in mourning. The Manchester United footballer has revealed that his best friend's wife died unexpectedly last week as he shared a beautiful tribute on social media.
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Taking to Instagram, the 36-year-old shared a picture of himself, his partner Georgina Rodriguez and his son Cristiano Jr alongside his best friend José Semedo and his wife Soraia and wrote: "There are times when everything takes a back seat, including football. Last week, unexpectedly, a fantastic human left us, our dear Soraia, a wonderful mother and wife of one of the best friends that life has given me.
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"Nothing can erase the pain of my brother José Semedo and their whole family, but we are together, today as always, facing this difficult moment. Rest in peace my friend. We will never forget you."
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The star was inundated with thousands of messages of condolences.
Cristiano and José have been friends since their youth
Soraia, 34, passed away on Thursday morning after health complications caused by an infection.
She was pronounced dead in the early hours at Curry Cabral Hospital in Lisbon.
Soraia passed away unexpectedly from an infection
Cristiano and José have been friends since their youth and José previously credited him for ensuring he remained disciplined while an academy player, explaining: "I owe Ronaldo everything. If it wasn't for him I would have been expelled from the academy and returned to the neighbourhood when I grew up.
"Many of my childhood friends are in jail or have got hooked on drugs. Nothing makes me think I wouldn't have followed the same path. I owe my sporting career, my children, and my wonderful life to Cristiano."