Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to retire at Real Madrid after agreeing a bumper new five-year contract to be signed today that ties him to the Spanish giants until 2021.
“The official event for the renewal of Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract will take place tomorrow, Monday 7 November at 1:30pm in the presidential box at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium,” Madrid said in a statement yesterday. “The Portuguese forward will extend his contract until 30 June 2021 at the event to be attended by club president Florentino Perez and the player himself.”
Ronaldo, 31, follows in the footsteps of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos as the latest Real star to agree a contract extension in recent weeks as the club prepares to serve a one-year transfer ban imposed by Fifa.
According to UK media reports, Bale’s lucrative new six-year deal will earn the Welshman as much as £600,000 ($750,000) a week before tax. However, Ronaldo, whose previous deal expired in 2018 is expected to remain the highest earner at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ronaldo is already the world’s highest paid sportsman according to American magazine Forbes, raking in $88 million between his salary and endorsements in 2016.
Ronaldo has shot himself into the Real record books by plundering 371 goals in 360 games in his eight seasons since swapping Manchester United for Madrid for a then world record fee in 2009.