In a stunning twist, Brazilian footballer Vinicius Tobias has discovered that he is not the biological father of the child he believed to be his.
The 20-year-old, who currently plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, had even gotten a tattoo in honour of the unborn child before receiving the devastating news.
The revelation came after his ex-girlfriend, influencer Ingrid Lima, requested a DNA test, which confirmed that Tobias was not the biological father of the baby girl, Maitê. Lima shared the news on her Instagram stories, leaving her followers stunned.
“As everyone already knows, Vinicius and I haven’t been together for a while, and during that time, I got involved with someone else. We decided to take a DNA test, and it turns out Maitê is not Vinicius’ daughter,” Lima explained in a now-deleted post.
According to Brazilian outlet Leo Dias, the child’s real father is speculated to be Vinicius Duarte, an açaí delivery man with whom Lima had an affair during her on-and-off relationship with Tobias.
Reports indicate that both Vinicius and Lima had a rocky relationship marked by infidelity on both sides. Sources close to the couple revealed that Lima’s involvement with Duarte occurred during one of her breakups with the footballer. Tobias, too, was said to have been unfaithful, though the specifics of his actions remain unclear.
The betrayal has been especially hard on Tobias, who had already tattooed Maitê’s name, believing he would soon become a father.
Despite the painful situation, Lima urged the public to stop attacking Tobias, clarifying that he had respected her request not to attend the delivery or post anything about the child until the DNA test results were confirmed.
“We’ve talked things through and settled everything amicably. I ask people to stop attacking him. I wish him the best in life, and we both hope to move on peacefully,” Lima stated.
Tobias, who was on loan at Real Madrid from Shakhtar Donetsk until the summer of 2024, is now focusing on his career. He spent two seasons with Madrid’s B team, Castilla, since the first team’s non-EU player slots were filled. Despite limited appearances, Tobias earned medals for Madrid’s Champions League and Supercopa de España triumphs during the 2023/24 season.
Now back at Shakhtar, Tobias is taking time to process the personal setback while continuing his professional journey in Ukrainian football.
