Topline
Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer superstar, will move to Manchester United, where he spent most of his early professional career.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal for Manchester United in 2006. Manchester United via Getty Images
The Key Facts
The forward from Portugal is expected to leave Italian club Juventus F.C. The English Premier League club stated that the forward from Portugal will leave Juventus F.C. and return to Manchester United if there are agreements regarding visa, medical, and personal terms. The Guardian reported that the four-time Ballon d'Or winner would likely sign a two-year contract and that Manchester United had agreed to pay Juventus approximately $27 million for its start.
Tangent
Ronaldo's four-year Juventus contract, which was worth $64million per year, was due to expire next year. Massimiliano Allegri was Ronaldo's manager and he confirmed that he would be leaving Turin this season. Allegri stated that "Cristiano made his contribution, he was available, and now he is gone, and life continues as usual."
Big Number
$120 million. According to a Forbes estimate Ronaldo is the third-highest-paid athlete in the world. He comes in second place behind boxer Conor McGregor, and Lionel Messi, the Argentinian soccer player. According to Forbes estimates, he was the first athlete to earn more than $1 billion per year.
Important Background
Ronaldo joined Manchester United when he was a teenager. It was the first club Ronaldo played for outside of Portugal. Ronaldo has been with Manchester United for 12 years. He scored 118 goals in 292 matches over six years, helping them win three Premier League titles as well as the Champions League. In 2009, Ronaldo was transferred to Real Madrid, Spain, in a $110million deal. This was a record-breaking amount at the time. He then moved to Juventus in 2018.
Continue reading
Forbes: The World's Most Highly Paid Athletes
