Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of soccer’s all-time greatest players. He is the game’s highest scorer on record and has been a super athlete from the beginning, when an 18-year-old Ronaldo became “the most expensive teenager in British football history” after Manchester United paid roughly $15 million for his transfer to the team. Currently a free agent, he was reportedly offered a $207 million-per-year deal by Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr FC.
The 37-year-old has a legendary work ethic on and off the field and was earning $630,000 per week as a player for Manchester United, plus millions per year in endorsements, including a $1 billion-dollar lifetime deal with Nike. With that much money at his disposal, it’s no wonder the most followed person on Instagram (his current follower count is 506 million) has a real estate portfolio most can only dream of. Let’s take a peek into the many living quarters of one of soccer’s most prolific players, his partner Georgina Rodriguez, and his five children.
2000s
Ronaldo bought his first home in England for $7.1 million a couple of years after signing with elite soccer club Manchester United. Located 15 miles from Manchester in Alderley Edge, a posh village known to attract deep-pocketed homebuyers and famous soccer players (David and Victoria Beckham lived there from 2001 to 2005), the three-story, red-brick, contemporary-style new build had five bedrooms, an indoor pool, a steam room, theater room, and a gym at the time of the star player’s tenure. There are conflicting reports about the exact year Ronaldo bought the property, but title documents place the purchase in 2007. Attempts to find a buyer for the manse failed in 2009, when the in-demand player transferred to Spanish team Real Madrid; it was instead rented out, most notably to Man U player Luke Shaw in 2014 for $11,500 a month. Ronaldo was finally able to sell the house in 2019, but at an over $800,000 loss.
2010
In 2009, Ronaldo jumped ship from Manchester United to Spanish club Real Madrid and stayed there until 2018. During that time, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner bought a massive property housing two ultramodern mansions in La Finca, one of Madrid’s most prestigious neighborhoods. Spanning 8,600 square feet of living space, the two luxurious 2010 builds were designed by Spanish architect to the stars, Joaquín Torres. The larger property has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms and is marked by several distinguishing features. Just so there’s no mistaking who owns the house, Ronaldo’s initials are carved into the front door’s metal detailing. One of its most impressive highlights may be the spa found on the first floor. There you’ll find an indoor pool (with black lining), a Jacuzzi, sauna, and even a cryochamber within white-walled rooms.
2012
Nature-loving Ronaldo once owned a riverside mansion tucked away in the northern mountains of Portugal’s Gerês, a region that is home to historic spas and a national park. After landing in trouble for building a tennis court and two annexes that were deemed illegal on the property, Ronaldo tore down the structures and donated the used materials to those in need. Reports are that he eventually sold the property to Pepe, a former Real Madrid teammate, but property documents still show Ronaldo as the owner.
2015
Rumors about Ronaldo joining the United States soccer league swirled heavily in 2015 and were fueled when he paid $18 million for a 2,509-square-foot apartment in the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Alas, Ronaldo never joined MLS, but he kept the apartment. That is until 14,000 fans of the star signed a petition in 2017 asking him to sell. Fans did not want their favorite soccer player associated with president Donald Trump, who was increasingly seen across the world as a divisive figure during his presidential run and subsequent presidency. Sadly, the world’s highest-paid athlete of 2016 took a whopping loss in 2022, when the contentious Manhattan pad sold after having stayed on the market for three years. It was listed for $9 million and bought for a meager $7.18 million.
Also in 2015, Ronaldo reportedly picked up an apartment in Lisbon for around $2 million. This place is not the most private of the famous footballer’s properties, as it is located on Avenida da Liberdade, the city’s most expensive shopping corridor, whose design is inspired by Paris’s Champs-Élysées.
2018
Joining preeminent Italian soccer club Juventus in 2018 meant living in Turin for Ronaldo and his family. Located at the top of a hill in Strada San Vito Revigliasco, an exclusive Turinese enclave, the top scorer’s property there is made up of two modern villas. Many sections of the homes’ façades are wrapped with large glass windows and doors, which provide ample views of the city below. Despite its lofty perch, the compound is safely tucked away behind lush trees and can only be reached via a rambling heavily-guarded driveway. Interiors make generous use of luxurious polished marble, and of course, the house comes with the requisite gym, spa, indoor pool, and large backyard and garden. Juventus’s newest star, Dušan Vlahović, is said to be currently renting the place.
This same year, Ronaldo purchased the most expensive apartment ever sold in Lisbon, for $7 million. Located not far from his other pad in the Portuguese capital, the three-bedroom modern masterpiece includes a spa, gym, an indoor and rooftop pool, and a long terrace with a glass balustrade that overlooks the city and nearby gardens. Glass walls abound and hardwood floors can be found throughout.
Being an international star has not stopped Ronaldo from owning a home in the capital of his native Madeira, an island region in Portugal. The captain of the Portuguese national football team converted a former warehouse and nightclub near the city of Funchal’s port into a seven-story modern palace for around $8 million. With four floors aboveground, there is a rooftop pool and, of course, killer ocean views. Elsewhere in the home are two state-of-the-art gyms and an indoor pool. Ronaldo’s brother and mother are said to live there full-time.
The Ronaldo family also picked up a $1.6 million villa in Costa del Sol, in Marbella, an area also known as “the superstars’ cul-de-sac” because of the numerous celebs who own property there. The four-bedroom holiday home is located in a gated community and sits on the edge of a golf course with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea. Ronaldo’s luxury villa is a white modern-style two-story building with high ceilings, glass walls, a pool, wine cellar, gym, and home theater.
2021
The only reason the Turin compound was available for rent is because Ronaldo was lured back to Manchester United in 2021. The Ronaldo brood moved into a seven-bedroom, $7 million modern brick house in Cheshire, which sits on 23 acres of land. But the clan did not stay long, relocating after only one week. Rumors were that bleating sheep disturbed the five-time UEFA champion’s sleep; however, later reports claim that story was fabricated. Allegedly, the move happened because of a public footpath that ran through the property, and of course, for someone as high-profile as Ronaldo, safety is always a major concern. His new mansion, which is believed to also be in Cheshire, has more of a traditional design and reportedly comes with a pool, theater, a four-car garage, and high security.
2022
The Ronaldo family will be fully ready for the patriarch’s return to Portugal, if he should choose to return in retirement, as their latest mansion is being built from the ground up in Quinta da Marinha, an area fondly known as the Portuguese Riviera. The UNICEF ambassador purchased a 2.47 acre plot of land next to a golf clubhouse but is currently in talks to have the clubhouse moved for privacy reasons, and because the structure apparently blocks the star’s view. The land was purchased for about $7.2 million dollars, and building costs now hover around $20 million. CR7, as fans call him, is said to be building a 30-car garage to house his prized collection of automobiles. Other features reported are large bedroom suites with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a theater, spa, and games room. Some outlets have reported that this pad is the most expensive in Portugal.
