Overview
- During his official Cruzeiro unveiling, footage showed Luciano Rodriguez leaning in for a kiss while his girlfriend Antonela Ciavaglia stepped off stage, leaving the 23-year-old striker standing awkwardly.
- Ciavaglia, a Uruguayan model and influencer widely compared to Kim Kardashian, issued a public statement saying she was nervous under the lights and meant no disrespect or relationship rift.
- Rodriguez joined Cruzeiro on loan from Saudi side Neom with reports of a roughly £14.95 million buy option, and he will train with teammates including Luis Sinisterra and Matheus Pereira.
- The clip spread rapidly online, with multiple outlets reporting millions of views, turning a routine presentation into a social-media story that overshadowed the transfer news.
- The episode follows Rodriguez’s recent rise in Uruguay after youth and domestic titles and a missed World Cup call-up, and Cruzeiro hope the off-field attention does not distract him from an expected competitive debut.