Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between Uruguay and Portugal at Fisht Stadium on June 30, 2018 in Sochi, Russia. Francois Nel/Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday moved on from Real Madrid and will join Italian champions Juventus. The transfer means a new contract for one of the richest athletes in the world.

Juventus agreed on a transfer fee with Real Madrid worth approximately $117 million (€100 million), plus more than $14 million in additional fees, for Ronaldo. The 33-year-old signed a four-year contract with his new club that will pay him a yearly salary of around $35 million (€30 million), according to multiple reports. The deal is expected to pay Ronaldo more than $140 million through 2022.

“These years at Real Madrid and in this city of Madrid have quite possibly be the happiest years of my life,” Ronaldo said in a statement. “I only have feelings of great gratitude to this club, to the fans and to the city. I can only give thanks to all of them for the love and affection that I have received.

“However, I feel that the time has come to begin a new stage of my life and that is why I have asked the club to accept my transfer. I feel it this way and I am asking everyone, and especially my fans, to please understand me.”

It wasn’t long ago that Ronaldo signed a contract extension to remain with Real Madrid. The club gave the Portuguese forward a new deal in November 2016 that was supposed to run through June 2021 and reportedly pay him more than $50 million a year in annual salary and bonuses.

Real Madrid acquired Ronaldo from Manchester United in 2009 for a then-record transfer fee of €94 million. The superstar won four Champions League titles with the club, including the last three championships.

Forbes recently named Ronaldo the third highest-paid athlete in the world with $61 million in salary and another $47 million in endorsements. Only boxer Floyd Mayweather and Barcelona's Lionel Messi were ahead of Ronaldo on the list.

ESPN called Ronaldo the biggest name in sports in 2018 on their “World Fame 100” rankings, putting him one spot ahead of LeBron James. He leads all athletes by a wide margin with a social media following of over 120 million.

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