(foto: Official TW/IG/FB account)
Former Barcelona star Dani Alves and his wife Joana Sanz have reportedly welcomed their first child together, just months after Alves’ rape conviction was overturned on appeal.
Dani Alves and Joana Sanz are celebrating the arrival of their first child, according to Spanish showbiz outlet Vanitatis. The couple reportedly welcomed a baby boy in Barcelona and have since returned home to Esplugues de Llobregat. The child's name has not been made public but is said to begin with the letter “J.”
The news comes seven months after Alves’ conviction for rape was overturned by the Catalan High Court. The Brazilian had initially been sentenced to four years in prison in February 2024 following a three-day trial. However, the High Court later rejected the original ruling, stating in a 101-page judgment that “it cannot be concluded that the limits of the presumption of innocence have been surpassed.”
During the trial, Alves and Sanz went through a public and acrimonious split, with the 33-year-old model initially distancing herself from her husband. She posted a defiant selfie shortly after his sentencing. However, the couple reconciled after his release on bail in March 2024.
Sanz later revealed on Instagram that she was expecting their first child after undergoing two rounds of IVF treatment and enduring three miscarriages. She spoke openly about societal pressure and her evolving feelings about motherhood, writing: “I didn’t want to share anything until it was more than obvious. From the age of 22, I’ve had to deal with questions like ‘When’s the baby coming?’ What terrifying social pressure.”
She continued: “Five years ago, I was very afraid of the idea of becoming a mother — fear that a human being would depend on me for survival, fear of not working, fear of losing myself as a woman. But that’s a different story.”
Following his acquittal, Alves said through his lawyer Ines Guardiola that he was “very happy” and thanked those who supported him during the legal battle. Sanz also responded on social media, condemning the “two years of insults, threats and persecution” she faced.
The couple’s relationship has been under intense public scrutiny since the allegations emerged in December 2022. Alves had spent several months in pre-trial detention and on bail before being fully acquitted earlier this year.