If Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed personality on Instagram with 608 million subscribers, it seems that the footballer doesn’t just have fans… Tuesday September 19, 2023 in Iran, the football star met Fatemeh Hamami, a painter, suffering from paralysis. During this moment, filmed by the cameras of numerous media, she gave the Portuguese footballer two works painted with her feet. Touched by this attention, the former Real Madrid striker then gave her a signed jersey before hugging her and kissing her on the cheek. Behavior considered shocking and punishable by law in Iran by… 99 lashes. And for good reason, these gestures would be assimilated to adultery, on the side of Tehran. According to French and Spanish media, Georgina Rodriguez’s companion – who has shared her life since 2016 – would be the target of complaints from lawyers. However, it would actually be… fake news!
Cristiano Ronaldo “was very well received by the population and the authorities”
Monday October 16, 2023, on X (formerly Twitter), the embassy of the Islamic Republic in Spain assured that everything was false. “We categorically deny any court decision against an international athlete in Iran. It is worrying that the publication of such baseless news could overshadow crimes against humanity and war crimes against the oppressed Palestinian nation.”, it is written. We can also learn that Cristiano Ronaldo traveled to Iran on September 18 and 19, 2023, for an Asian Champions League match, and that he was “very well received by the population and the authorities”. “His sincere and human meeting with Fatemeh Hamami was also greeted and admired by both the population and the country’s sports authorities”, it is specified. For his part, the father of five children did not wish to respond to the controversy and prefers to concentrate on what he does best, namely his profession as a footballer, for which he has won the Ballon d’Or five times.
We accept the issue of any judicial failure against any international sportsman in Iran. It is a matter of concern that the publication of unfounded reports may eclipse human and war crimes against the oppressed… pic.twitter.com/51xw40L7Gp
— Embajada de Irán en España (@IraninSpain) October 13, 2023