Named as one of the greatest footballers of all times, Ronaldo, or rather, Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, is seeking a paternity test to know if a 5 year old boy living in Singapore is his biological child or not.

The 34 year old football star announced his decision to take the DNA paternity test on his Twitter feed. He moreover, commented on how polite and healthy the 5 year old boy who is allegedly his son looked. The test has already been carried out, but the results of the test are as yet unknown. Ronaldo has shown his willingness to play a fatherly role in the boy’s lie, assuming all his responsibilities as any father should.

Michele Umezu has been trying to establish paternity since 2009. She is moreover, claiming child support should the paternity test reveal Ronaldo to be the father. Umezu, 28 years of age, and her son Alex live in Singapore. Ronaldo and Umezu met at a party in Tokyo in 2002- a year in which Brazil won the world cup. In 2004, the footballer returned to Tokyo; this is when she got pregnant.

If the paternity test shows Alex to be Ronaldo’s biological child, the player can add a fourth one as he already has three children. Ronaldo has 2 daughters from his current wife, Bia Anthony, and a son, who is now 10 years old, from his ex-wife.

Paternity testing: how is the test done?

Whilst in the past it is blood that was used as a medium for extracting DNA, nowadays it is saliva. Saliva samples are much more simple to collect and do not require any invasive venepuncture. Once DNA samples are collected from alleged father, child and mother the DNA profiles are extracted. Lab analysts do not analyze the whole DNA profile but will take a number of genetic markers. They compare the genetic markers between the profiles of the father and child to see if they match. A father and child will need to share all their genetic markers. If all genetic markers are not shared, then it will be an exclusion, this would mean that the man tested is not the child’s real father.

Ronaldo is one of many famous people who have taken a paternity test. Others include big names in sport and Hollywood films such as Keanu Reeves or Mel Gibson.