Ronaldo shattered world-record fee before signing most expensive contract ever

The Al Nassr superstar is the best goalscorer of all-time and his astonishing ability has meant he has been bought for an incredible amount of money over the years.

Not only have clubs paid unbelievable fees for the now 39-year-old but they have handed out some never-seen-before contracts to the icon.

From Sporting to Manchester United, a world-record fee and the most-expensive contract ever, talkSPORT.com takes a look at Ronaldo's transfer history…

Sporting Lisbon to Man United - £12.24m (August 2003)

"One of the most exciting young players I have ever seen."

That is what Sir Alex Ferguson said after signing an 18-year-old Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon for just over £12m.

READ MORE ON RONALDO

Rodriguez met Ronaldo at Gucci store, has her own Netflix show and 50 million followers

Cristiano Ronaldo's full record as footballing icon sits at top of all-time scoring charts

It was after Man United played the Portuguese side that Ferguson and the squad instantly knew they wanted to bring in the forward.

Speaking about the deal, the iconic Red Devils boss explained: "He is an extremely talented footballer, a two-footed attacker who can play anywhere up front - right, left or through the middle.

"After we played Sporting last week, the lads in the dressing room talked about him constantly, and on the plane back from the game they urged me to sign him. That's how highly they rated him."

Chelsea were also interested but it was United who managed to get the deal done and the rest is history…

Most read in Football

Newcastle boss Howe rues 'strange' injury to Wilson amid potential long lay-off

Arsenal and Spurs battle for £60m ace, Chelsea star to leave, Zaha back in Premier League?

Jorginho names top five Premier League players and last pick leaves interviewer stunned

Mikel Arteta gives Arsenal fans hope of stunning Kylian Mbappe transfer

Man United to Real Madrid - £80m (July, 2009)

After six years in Manchester, Ronaldo's stock had majorly risen and he was widely considered one of the best players in the world.

He had picked up a Ballon d'Or, and with it came interest from Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants agreed a then world-record fee of £80million to sign the Portugal international in what was a groundbreaking move at the time.

He became the most expensive player in history and it remains one of the most high-profile transfers of this generation.

Ronaldo would go on to prove himself worth every penny and more as he scored 450 goals in 438 appearances in Madrid.

He would leave the club as a legend and their all-time top scorer after nine years at the club.

Real Madrid to Juventus - £105m (July, 2018)

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner then decided his time at Real was up and that led to a chase for his signature.

A move to Juventus followed as he took his talents to yet another major European league.

The Italians paid over £100million in a club-record deal for Ronaldo in 2018, signing him onto a four-year contract in Turin.

It wasn't a world record, which was - and still is - Neymar's £200m move from Barcelona to PSG, but for a 33-year-old the fee was gigantic.

And he proved his worth yet again, scoring 101 goals in 134 games in all competitions.

Juventus to Man United - £12.9m (August 2021)

Ronaldo would spend three years at Juve before seeking a new club.

That club looked set to be Manchester City, at least until Man United got wind of the imminent deal…

The Red Devils made an offer for their former superstar and that was all he needed to decide on making a stunning return to Old Trafford.

United paid just over £12million for Ronaldo, which was almost the same as when they originally brought him to the club in 2009.

He would score another 27 goals in Manchester but things didn't go as planned during his second spell.

Ronaldo would have his contract terminated following issues with Erik ten Hag and a damning interview with Piers Morgan.

Cristiano Ronaldo spotted furiously shouting back at fans chanting for Lionel Messi during Al Nassr match

Al Nassr - Free (January 2023)

Just as things looked to be turning sour for Ronaldo, he made even more history.

He became the highest-paid footballer ever by signing for Al Nassr in January 2023, three months after leaving United.

He agreed to a lucrative deal worth £117million per year that will run until 2025, which is the biggest salary ever seen in the sport.

Speaking after the move was announced, he said he was 'eager to experience a new football league in a different country'.

And added: "I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia."

Read More on talkSPORT

Usher was paid nothing for Super Bowl halftime show - but now he stands to make over $100m

Agbonlahor says Neville was easy to play against and Beckham carried him on the right

His move to Saudi Arabia has had a major impact on football in general.

Many stars have followed in his footsteps on big-money deals and it has led to major growth of the game in the Middle East.