Cristiano Ronaldo
Portuguese forward, the all-time leading scorer in men's international football according to UEFA
- Entries
- 33
- On the record
- 21
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Apr 14, 2026
The record
- €18.8Mtotal cost of the January 2019 deal settling the Spanish tax case, with a 23-month suspended sentence
- $1B+damages sought in the 2023 Florida class action over his Binance NFT promotion
- €9.8Marbitration award against Juventus in April 2024, upheld by the Turin labour court in January 2026
- 3 matchesFIFA ban for his November 2025 red card against Ireland, two of them suspended for a year
Cristiano Ronaldo's tax fraud case dates from his Real Madrid years. Spanish prosecutors said he used a business structure to avoid tax on image-rights income from 2011 to 2014, about €14.7 million by their count; he denied doing so knowingly. After reaching a deal he paid €5.7 million plus about €1 million in interest in July 2018, and on 22 January 2019 he pleaded guilty in a Madrid court and accepted a 23-month suspended sentence, in a settlement that cost him €18.8 million in total. As a first offender with a sentence under two years, he did not go to prison.
A Nevada civil suit by a woman who accused him of a 2009 sexual assault in Las Vegas, which he has denied, was filed in 2018 after documents from his former lawyers were leaked by the Football Leaks site; he had settled her claim in 2010 for $375,000. Prosecutors declined to bring charges in 2019. The federal court dismissed the suit in June 2022 as a sanction, finding her lawyer had used privileged leaked documents in bad faith, and the Ninth Circuit affirmed on 21 November 2023. In Florida, buyers of Binance NFTs he promoted sued him in 2023 for more than $1 billion; that case has been stayed since May 2024.
His football discipline record includes a two-match FA ban and £50,000 fine in November 2022, a one-match Saudi suspension for an obscene gesture in February 2024, a red card in the April 2024 Saudi Super Cup, and a three-match FIFA ban, two of them suspended, after his first international red card in November 2025. Separately, an arbitration board ordered Juventus to pay him about €9.8 million in April 2024 over a pandemic-era pay agreement; the Turin labour court rejected the club's challenge on 13 January 2026, and Juventus has appealed to Italy's Court of Cassation.
Questions people ask
What was Cristiano Ronaldo's tax fraud case?
Spanish prosecutors charged that Ronaldo did not pay tax on image-rights earnings from 2011 to 2014, while he played for Real Madrid, defrauding the tax authorities of about €14.7 million. On 22 January 2019 he pleaded guilty and accepted a fine and a 23-month suspended sentence in Madrid, as Reuters reported at the time. source
How much did Ronaldo pay in the Spanish tax case?
The deal cost him €18.8 million in total. Spanish prosecutors said that after reaching it he paid a €5.7 million fine plus about €1 million in interest in July 2018, before the court hearing of 22 January 2019 at which he signed off on the agreement. source
Did Ronaldo go to jail for tax fraud?
No. Under Spanish law a first offender can serve a sentence of less than two years on probation, so his suspended sentence did not require prison. His court appearance in Madrid lasted about 15 minutes because he only had to approve the agreement already reached. source
What is the Cristiano Ronaldo Binance lawsuit?
Investors who bought NFTs from his ForeverCR7 collection on Binance sued him in federal court in Florida, saying his endorsement led them into costly investments, and seek more than $1 billion. On 4 May 2024 Judge Roy Altman granted the plaintiffs' unopposed request to stay the case until motions to compel arbitration are decided in the related Sizemore v. Zhao case, and denied Ronaldo's motion to dismiss without prejudice. source
Was Ronaldo charged over the Las Vegas allegation?
No. On 22 July 2019 Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said that after a reopened police investigation the sexual assault claim could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and no charge would be filed. Ronaldo had denied the accusation publicly in October 2018. source
Why was the Nevada civil suit against Ronaldo dismissed?
The federal court in Las Vegas granted Ronaldo case-terminating sanctions after finding that the plaintiff's lawyer acted in bad faith by seeking out and using documents from the Football Leaks hack of Ronaldo's former lawyers, including ones marked attorney-client privileged, despite a 2010 settlement and confidentiality agreement. On 21 November 2023 the Ninth Circuit affirmed, holding that Ronaldo had not waived privilege and that dismissal was within the court's discretion. source
Has Ronaldo been banned by FIFA?
Yes. After his red card for an elbow on Ireland defender Dara O'Shea in a World Cup qualifier in November 2025, a FIFA disciplinary committee imposed a three-match ban but suspended the last two matches for a one-year probation period under article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. He served one match, leaving him available for Portugal's first 2026 World Cup game unless he reoffended. source
What did the court decide in Ronaldo's Juventus wage dispute?
On 13 January 2026 the Turin labour court rejected Juventus's challenge to the April 2024 arbitration award, leaving in place the award of about €9.8 million over pandemic-era salary agreements. Juventus said in its 2025/26 financial statements that it had appealed to the Court of Cassation, serving the appeal on 27 March 2026. source
Roles and honours on the record
- 2018-2021 Forward, Juventus (four-year contract to 30 June 2022, ended early by sale) source
- 2021-2022 Forward, Manchester United (second spell) source
- 2022-present Forward, Al-Nassr (Saudi Pro League), signed in December 2022 source
- as of November 2026 Portugal forward, record 234 appearances and 146 goals source
Every entry, newest first
- Reported
El Mundo reported he agreed a two-year suspended sentence and €18.8M fine over four tax offences, The Independent said. Cristiano Ronaldo agrees €18.8M Spain tax fine, El Mundo says
- Reported
Told the judge he always paid his taxes and trusted his advisors, AS USA reported citing SER. Cristiano Ronaldo agrees €18.8M Spain tax fine, El Mundo says
- Filed
Questioned by a Madrid judge over alleged €14.7M tax evasion, 2011-2014, The Guardian reported; his lawyers deny any law was broken. Cristiano Ronaldo agrees €18.8M Spain tax fine, El Mundo says
Stories in this file
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The record, entry by entry
Spanish tax case (2017-2019)
- 2017 Filed Spanish prosecutors accused him of knowingly using a business structure to hide income from his image rights in Spain between 2011 and 2014. He denied the accusation. Agence France-Presse report (The National)
- 2018-07 Admitted After reaching a deal with prosecutors, he paid a €5.7 million fine plus about €1 million in interest, the prosecutor's office said. Agence France-Presse report (The National)
- 2019-01-22 Admitted In a Madrid court he pleaded guilty and accepted a fine and a 23-month suspended sentence for tax fraud on image-rights earnings from 2011 to 2014, when prosecutors said he had defrauded the tax authorities of about €14.7 million. Sports Illustrated, citing Reuters
- 2019-01-22 Admitted The settlement cost him €18.8 million in total. Because Spanish law lets a first offender serve a sentence under two years on probation, he did not go to prison; the hearing lasted about 15 minutes. Agence France-Presse report (The National)
Nevada civil suit (2010-2024)
- 2010 Official Ronaldo settled the woman's sexual assault claim under a settlement and confidentiality agreement, paying her $375,000. He has maintained the encounter was consensual. Associated Press report (KSAT)
- 2017 Reported The Football Leaks website published hundreds of documents obtained through a cyber hack of Ronaldo's former lawyers, including several about the 2010 settlement. Ninth Circuit memorandum, No. 22-16009
- 2018-09 Filed A Nevada woman sued him in a civil suit accusing him of sexually assaulting her in his Las Vegas hotel penthouse in 2009, claiming battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and coercion. He denied the allegation in a public statement in October 2018. NBC News report
- 2019 Filed The suit, first brought in Nevada state court, moved to the U.S. District Court for Nevada as No. 2:19-cv-00168, before Judge Jennifer Dorsey. Ninth Circuit memorandum, No. 22-16009
- 2019-07-22 Official The Clark County District Attorney declined to file charges, saying the allegation could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt after a reopened police investigation. NBC News, quoting the District Attorney's statement
- 2022-06 Ruled Judge Dorsey granted Ronaldo's motion for case-terminating sanctions and dismissed the suit, finding the plaintiff's lawyer had sought and used privileged Football Leaks documents in bad faith despite the confidentiality agreement. Ninth Circuit memorandum, No. 22-16009
- 2023-11-21 Ruled The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal. It held Ronaldo had not waived attorney-client privilege over the leaked documents, found no clear error in the finding that the plaintiff's lawyer acted in bad faith, and said the district court had amply supported dismissal with specific findings. Ninth Circuit memorandum, No. 22-16009
- 2024-08-26 Ruled The Ninth Circuit awarded him $127,455 in attorney fees for the appeal, payable by the plaintiff's counsel rather than the plaintiff, in an order amending its mandate. U.S. District Court, D. Nev., docket entry for the Ninth Circuit order
Binance NFT class action (2023-2026)
- 2023 Filed Buyers of NFTs he promoted for Binance filed a proposed class action against him in federal court in Miami, alleging he promoted unregistered securities. His motion to dismiss argued the court lacked jurisdiction over him and that the complaint stated no claim against him. Top Class Actions report
- 2024-05-04 Ruled Judge Roy Altman stayed the Binance case at the plaintiffs' request until motions to compel arbitration are decided in the related case Sizemore v. Zhao, No. 23-CV-21261, and denied Ronaldo's motion to dismiss or compel arbitration without prejudice. Newsweek, quoting the paperless order
- 2026-04-14 Reported In the related Sizemore case, Judge Altman denied Binance and former chief executive Changpeng Zhao's motion to compel arbitration, holding they could not enforce an agreement they had not signed, according to the plaintiffs' law firm. No record was found of whether the stay in Ronaldo's case has since been lifted. The Moskowitz Law Firm press release
Clubs and transfers
- 2018-07-10 Official Juventus told investors it had agreed to buy his registration rights from Real Madrid for 100 million euros over two financial years, plus 12 million euros in additional costs, on a contract to 30 June 2022. Juventus FC press release, 10 July 2018
- 2021-08-31 Official Juventus disclosed his sale to Manchester United for 15 million euros payable over five years, plus up to 8 million euros in performance add-ons, booking a negative impact of about 14 million euros. Juventus FC press release, 31 August 2021
- 2021-09-01 Official His two goals against the Republic of Ireland in Faro-Loule took him past Ali Daei's world record for men's international goals, aged 36. UEFA record page
- 2022-11-22 Official Manchester United announced he would leave the club by mutual agreement with immediate effect, midway through the second season of his second spell. Premier League news
Football discipline
- 2022-11-23 Ruled An independent FA Regulatory Commission found his conduct after the 9 April 2022 match at Everton improper and violent, suspending him for two matches with a £50,000 fine and a warning about his future conduct. He had admitted the conduct was improper. The Football Association statement
- 2024-02-29 Ruled The Saudi Arabian Football Federation's Disciplinary and Ethics Committee suspended him for one match for an obscene gesture at Al-Shabab fans who had chanted Lionel Messi's name, and ordered him to pay 20,000 riyals to Al-Shabab and 10,000 riyals to the federation. The decision could not be appealed. Al Jazeera report
- 2024-04-08 Reported He was sent off for the first time in Saudi Arabia, in the 86th minute of Al-Nassr's 2-1 Saudi Super Cup semi-final loss to Al-Hilal in Abu Dhabi, for striking defender Ali Al-Bulaihi. AP reported that he faced a two-game suspension. Associated Press report (Al Arabiya)
- 2025-11 Ruled After his first red card in international football, for an elbow on Ireland defender Dara O'Shea in a World Cup qualifier, a FIFA disciplinary committee banned him for three matches and suspended the last two for a one-year probation period. Sky Sports, quoting FIFA's statement
Juventus pay dispute (2021-2026)
- 2021-04-24 Official He and Juventus signed the pay reduction agreement that later became the subject of his arbitration claim and counterclaim. Juventus FC financial statements release, 26 September 2025
- 2024-04-17 Ruled An arbitration board, by a majority, found Juventus liable before contract for the failure of negotiations with him and ordered it to pay about 9.8 million euros plus interest, half his 19.6 million euro claim. Juventus paid in the 2023/24 financial year. Juventus FC financial statements release, 26 September 2025
- 2024-09-26 Filed Juventus appealed the arbitration award to the Turin Court, Labour Division. Juventus FC financial statements release, 26 September 2025
- 2025-03-10 Filed He entered an appearance asking the court to reject Juventus' appeal and, as a counterclaim if the club won on its second ground, to declare the April 2021 pay reduction agreement void and order Juventus to pay him 19.6 million euros plus interest. Juventus FC financial statements release, 26 September 2025
- 2025-09-24 Filed The Turin labour court heard argument in Juventus' appeal and adjourned the case to 12 January 2026 for decision. Juventus FC financial statements release, 26 September 2025
- 2026-01-13 Ruled The Turin labour court rejected Juventus's challenge to the arbitration award, leaving its effects unchanged; the club noted the court reviewed only formal defects, not the merits. It said the ruling would have no further negative impact on its accounts, since it had paid the sum in 2023/24. Calcio e Finanza, citing Juventus's financial statements
- 2026-03-27 Filed Juventus served an appeal to the Court of Cassation against the Turin ruling, the club said in its 2025/26 financial statements; no hearing date had been set. Calcio e Finanza, citing Juventus's 2025/26 financial statements
Documents
- Juventus press release on the Real Madrid acquisition (2018)
- Juventus press release on the Manchester United disposal (2021)
- Juventus 2024/25 financial statements release, former-player proceeding (2025)
- FA statement on his suspension (2022)
- NBC News on the Clark County DA decision (2019)
- Sports Illustrated on the Madrid tax plea, citing Reuters (Jan. 22, 2019)
- AFP via The National on the €18.8 million settlement and suspended sentence (Jan. 22, 2019)
- Premier League on his Manchester United exit (2022)
- UEFA, all-time leading scorer in men's international football
- Ninth Circuit memorandum affirming dismissal of the Nevada civil suit, No. 22-16009 (Nov. 21, 2023)
- Civil docket, U.S. District Court, D. Nev., No. 2:19-cv-00168 (Ninth Circuit fee order, Aug. 2024)
- AP on the Ninth Circuit ruling and the 2010 settlement (Nov. 21, 2023)
- Newsweek on the May 2024 stay and denial of his motion to dismiss in the Binance suit
- Plaintiffs' counsel release on the April 2026 arbitration ruling in Sizemore v. Zhao
- Sky Sports on FIFA's three-match ban, quoting FIFA's statement (Nov. 2025)
- Al Jazeera on the Saudi federation's one-match ban (Feb. 29, 2024)
- Calcio e Finanza on the Turin labour court ruling (Jan. 2026)
- Calcio e Finanza on Juventus's Cassation appeal, from its 2025/26 financial statements (Oct. 2026)