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Katia Aveiro and her brother Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo by Instagram/@katiaaveirooficial |
In a series of Instagram posts, Katia argued that Ronaldo made a thoughtful decision in not attending, suggesting his presence could have drawn media attention away from the funeral.
She called the focus on his absence “regrettable,” urging the public and press to respect Jota’s family.
Jota and his younger brother Andre died in a tragic car crash on July 3 on the A-52 highway in Zamora, Spain. Their vehicle reportedly suffered a tire bust, lost control, flipped multiple times and caught fire.
Two days later, members of the Portugal national team gathered at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church to pay their respects. Ronaldo, however, did not attend, reportedly to avoid overshadowing the funeral in the small town of Gondomar.
According to Record, Ronaldo had personally contacted Jota’s family to express his condolences and offer support.
Despite this, some influencers labeled Ronaldo’s absence as “inexplicable,” and several fans expressed disappointment that the national team captain did not cut short his vacation to attend the funeral, Daily Mail reported.
Ronaldo, 40, was 11 years older than Jota. The two shared the pitch in 32 matches for Portugal, contributing seven goals, and most recently helped the team secure the 2025 UEFA Nations League title in June.
Katia recalled a painful personal moment in 2005, when their father, Dinis Aveiro, died in London. At the time, Ronaldo was with the national team in Russia preparing for World Cup qualifiers.
“When my father died. In addition to the pain of loss we had to deal with a flood of cameras and curious onlookers at the cemetery and everywhere we went,” she wrote. “And attention was not what it is today in terms of access… At no time were we able to leave the chapel; it was only possible at the time of the burial, such was the commotion.”
Katia, who has been vocal in defending her brother online, warned that she would block any message that criticizes him.
“About pain/family and real support… You will never know what it means until you go through it. If someone sends me a message criticizing anything my brother does, I will block it, that is, they will only do it once.
“It’s getting tiring. The fanaticism. The criticism for nothing, I repeat nothing… Sick society… We all have families. It is absurdly shameful to watch TV emphasizing an absence rather than respectfully honoring the pain of a mutilated family destroyed by the loss of two brothers. I am even ashamed to watch. Regrettable.”
Born in 1977, Katia is eight years older than Ronaldo and has been active as a pop singer since 2005. She is known as the most outspoken member of the Ronaldo family on social media, often coming to her brother’s defense.
In August 2022, she called Real Madrid President Florentino Perez an “old man” after he declined to sign Ronaldo again. Later that year, following Portugal’s World Cup elimination and Argentina’s title win, she branded the 2022 World Cup as “the worst in history.”
Katia has also taken shots at other players, including Gerard Pique, Luka Modric, Virgil van Dijk and even Ronaldo’s former club, Juventus.
Ronaldo has two other siblings, brother Hugo and sister Elma.