Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, the star of Manchester United, thanked Liverpool team and its fans on Thursday for the support they showed during the match between the two teams on Tuesday, following the death of one of his newborn twins. At the seventh minute, the number worn by Ronaldo, Liverpool fans stood for a minute’s applause as a tribute to the Portuguese player's deceased son, with his shirt displayed in the stands as the fans sang the club's anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone."
"CR7" shared a video of that moment on his Instagram account on Thursday, captioning it, "One world… one sport… one global family. Thank you, Anfield. My family and I will never forget this moment of respect and compassion." The gesture was especially touching given that the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is one of the fiercest in English football.
Ronaldo had announced on Monday, in a joint post with his Argentine-born partner, Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez, the death of one of their newborn twins in a post on Twitter. The couple, who revealed at the end of last year that they were expecting twins, added, "Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with a little bit of hope and happiness." The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, 37 years old, is a father of four children, including three from unknown mothers prior to his relationship with Rodriguez.
