Popular English radio personality Gemma Atkinson has revealed that she was offered a large sum of money to speak negatively about Cristiano Ronaldo after their brief relationship ended in 2007.
“When we broke up, I was offered a lot of money to speak badly about him, and I didn’t want it because I had nothing negative to say about him, so I see no reason to speak ill of him,” Atkinson told Key 103 Radio, via Transfer News Live.
Atkinson’s comments line up with her previous claims that her relationship with Rolando ended very amicably in Oct. 2007, when the Portuguese legend was in the final stages of his first stint with Manchester United. She has also maintained over the years that Ronaldo was remarkably respectful throughout their four-month relationship and that tabloids wanted her to “sell her story” about the breakup, but she refused.
🗣️ “When we broke up, I was offered a lot of money to speak badly about him, and I didn’t want it because I had nothing negative to say about him, so I
Cristiano Ronaldo Still Shining
Ronaldo won his first of five career Ballons d’Or in 2008, shortly after his breakup with Atkinson. Nearly 18 years later, the 41-year-old continues to perform well at both the club and international levels. Besides notching up 24 goals for Al-Nassr this season, he netted four goals for Portugal in four WC 2026 Qualifiers last year, including eight goals in nine overall matches while captaining his country.
CR7 also came up clutch to seal his country’s UEFA Nations League 2025 final against Spain last June, which was likely his last appearance in the biennial event. Between club and country, his career tally currently stands at 962, keeping his publicized desire of reaching 1K career goals a possibility before his projected retirement in 2027.
“It’s hard to continue playing, but I am motivated. My passion is high and I want to continue,” Ronaldo said last December, via ESPN.
“You know what my goal is. I want to win trophies and I want to reach that number [1,000 goals] that you all know. I will reach the number for sure, if no injuries.”
2026 FIFA World Cup Swansong
Rolando will captain Portugal for the last time at a FIFA World Cup later this year, an event that also likely bid farewell to other legends like Lionel Messi (Argentina), Luka Modric (Croatia) and Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium). Ronaldo confirmed recently that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be his last major international event.
“I will be 41 years old and I think will be the moment in the big competition,” Ronaldo told CNN’s Becky Anderson in November.
“I’m in the game for the last 25 years. I did everything. I have many records in the different scenarios in the clubs and also in the national teams. I’m really proud, so let’s enjoy the moment, live the moment.”
There were previously murmurs that Ronaldo’s son, Cristiano Jr., who currently plays for the U-16 team, could be called up to the senior roster to play next to his father at this year’s FIFA World Cup in North America. While that rumor has been squashed, Ronaldo still has hopes to play with his son at some point before his retirement.
“Human beings, we don’t want nobody being better than us,” Ronaldo said of his son blossoming into a soccer star. “But in my point, I wish if my kids will be better than me, I’m never going to be jealous of him, trust me.”
“As a father, I’m here to help him to be whatever he wants to be.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ex Gemma Atkinson Makes Stunning Claims