When Did Kim Kardashian Date Cristiano Ronaldo?

Outside of high schools across the world, there might not be any place where relationships fuel gossip like those involving celebrities. Add a Kardashian to the mix, and that rumor mill only gets louder.

Now, take one of the world’s biggest soccer players, and that could potentially break the internet. This happened in 2010 when Kim Kardashian West briefly dated Cristiano Ronaldo. However, it might not have reached the levels it would have just a couple of years after. 

Kim Kardashian and the celebrity dating scene

Kardashian might be the definition of somebody who is famous for being famous. She came onto the scene as the daughter of the late Robert Kardashian, a lawyer who rose to prominence thanks to his involvement in the OJ Simpson trial. However, from her late-teenage years, Kardashian began her journey into international name using the same rumor mill that many celebrities dread. 

First, she was known mostly for her friendship with Paris Hilton and a sex-tape with pop star Ray J. In 2007, however, she and her family debuted on Keeping up with the Kardashians, and their lives were never the same. Kardashian garnered attention no matter what she did. She parlayed her fame into modeling gigs, acting gigs, music gigs, and television appearances everywhere. 

Consistent through all of this, however, was her dating life. From Ray-J to Reggie Bush to NBA player Kris Humphries, Kardashian’s dating life became fodder for rumor mills, jokes, and headlines around the world. Perhaps, then, it might be surprising to know that she once dated Ronaldo to relatively little fanfare past immediate reactions. 

Who is Cristiano Ronaldo? 

Ronaldo has been on the soccer scene since he was just a teenager. A promising young prospect out of Portugal, Ronaldo got bit by the soccer bug early on in life and never looked back. By the time that he was a teenager, he was already showing a star-level talent that did not go unnoticed for scouts across the world. He made his name at Sporting Clube de Portugal before signing his first major deal with soccer powerhouse Manchester United. Neither he nor soccer was ever the same. 

For several years, Ronaldo was one of the best players in the Champion’s League and the worldwide soccer team. However, in 2009 he relocated to Real Madrid for an astounding $131 million transfer fee. There, he led the team to the championship, and for eight years he was the face of the franchise. However, in 2018, he relocated to the Italian soccer team Juventus, where he remains until this day. 

Ronaldo might not be quite as big in America as he is around the world. Still, even then, most Americans likely know who he is by name alone. This international celebrity status has made him, like Kardashian, the target for tabloid attention. His dating life is similarly scrutinized, too. 

When Cristiano met Kim

In 2010, the rumor mill was abuzz, per the Daily Mail, when Kardashian, who was still on her rise to becoming the international name she is today, was seen canoodling with Ronaldo in Spain. Ronaldo, who formerly dated Kardashian’s ex-friend Paris Hilton. People reportedly saw Kardashian and Ronaldo embracing around Spain before Kardashian, who was fresh off a break-up with Bush, flew back to America. 

The relationship was brief, and if it happened today, it might have been a much bigger deal. Regardless, the two, at the very least, spent some time together a decade ago. Both have moved on. Kardashian is married to rap superstar Kanye West, although their relationship may quickly be moving south. Ronaldo, on the other hand, recently had his fourth child with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez. 

Lots has changed in the last decade, but both Kardashian and Ronaldo remain in the spotlight, nonetheless. This relationship says less about them, however, than it does the way that society obsesses over the relationships of celebrities around the world.