Cristiano Ronaldo’s baby son was born to an American woman in June, according to reports in Portugal.

The Real Madrid winger, 25, announced that he had become a father on Facebook and Twitter during the weekend.

The child’s mother wishes to remain anonymous and has agreed to leave the footballer as sole guardian, the statement said.

Ronaldo’s mother, Delores, and sisters Elma and Katia are preparing to raise the child, according to the Portuguese newspaper Correio de Manha.

The family is reportedly dealing with the paperwork necessary to move the baby from the US to Portugal. Ronaldo has homes in Los Angeles and Miami.

The winger, who moved to Real Madrid from Manchester United for a record fee of 80 million pounds ($121.2 million) last year, said on Saturday that he was overjoyed to have become a father.

He wrote: “It is with great joy and emotion that I inform I have recently become father to a baby boy. As agreed with the baby's mother, who prefers to have her identity kept confidential, my son will be under my exclusive guardianship.

“No further information will be provided on this subject and I request everyone to fully respect my right to privacy (and that of the child) at least on issues as personal as these are.”

Ronaldo's current girlfriend, the Russian lingerie model Irina Shayk, reacted to the news on Facebook, writing: "My boyfriend is now father of a boy."

Ronaldo captained Portugal during their World Cup campaign in South Africa, which ended with a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the second round last Tuesday.

(Read by Renee Haines. Renee Haines is a journalist at the China Daily Web site.)

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(Agencies)