How Ronaldo's sister became his biggest fan: Katia Aveiro, 46, defends the football legend against Messi, celebrates New Year with him and gushes about him online

Often dubbed the greatest football player of his generation, Cristiano Ronaldo boasts a legion of fans from around the globe - but his number one defender might surprise you. Often dubbed the greatest football player of his generation, Cristiano Ronaldo, 39, boasts many die hard fans - including his older sister Katia Aveiro Katia Aveiro, 46, from Madeira, has earned quite the reputation for publicly swooning over her superstar brother. Born Liliana Cátia Pereira Santos Aveiro, it's no news that Katia - a pop sensation who launched her career under the name Ronalda - shares a close bond with the Portuguese football star In a recent Instagram post, Katia can be seen standing between Ronaldo and his long-term girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez, 30, while all three posed for the camera One photo showed the protective sibling by her brother's side in 1991, while another showed them posing together at an awards ceremony in 2017 in Paris. Katia also shared a sweet tribute to her sibling for his 39th birthday this year, sharing a snap of them together as children in 1991 In the same post, she shared a snap of herself with Ronaldo at an awards ceremony in 2017 in Paris To celebrate her superstar brother's birthday, she penned a lengthy message on his Instagram page, branding him 'the idol of so many' and adding 'you know how much I love you' She added that she hoped he continued to be an ‘enlightened human being that illuminates our lives'. Katia and Ronaldo shared laugh together at a New Year's Eve party last year, which he attended with the girlfriend and the mother of his children Georgina Rodruguez The prideful sister often comes to her younger brother's defence in the court of public opinion, especially when it comes to his longtime rival Lionel Messi The Argentine took home a record-extending eighth trophy at a ceremony in Paris after starring for his national team as they won the 2022 Qatar World Cup.