Cristiano Ronaldo has become the father of a baby boy with a mystery American woman, his Twitter and Facebook pages have announced.
The shock announcement appeared on the 25-year-old Real Madrid star's website, announcing his delight at the arrival of the tot.
The message also appeared in the early hours of today on his Twitter and Facebook pages in both Portuguese and English.
It read: '
It is with great joy and emotion that I inform I have recently become a 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.'
However, hours later, the star's Twitter account was mysteriously suspended - leading to some speculation that in fact that Ronaldo's online presence had been hacked into.
But Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha claimed the baby's mother is from the United States and that she gave birth a month ago.
It also claims that Ronaldo's family are preparing paperwork to bring the child to Portugal where he will be raised.
The paper added that Ronaldo's management company Gestifute confirmed the footballer's announcement was genuine.
If indeed the news is true, it's not known whether the Portuguese star had a fling with the woman in question or whether she had the child through a 'Ricky Martin'-style arrangement.
Ricky, 38, became a dad to twins Matteo and Valentino with help from a surrogate mum in 2008.
However, former Manchester United player Ronaldo has been quite the womaniser in the past.
The winger had high-profile flings with former world Number One tennis player Maria Sharapova, 23, and Big Brother star Imogen Thomas, 26, in 2008, Paris Hilton, 29, in June last year and Kim Kardashian, 29, in April.
Being preoccupied with his new role as father might explain Ronaldo's rather lack-lustre performance in the World Cup however.
Portugal crashed out after being beaten 1-0 by arch rivals Spain on June 29.
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