Cristiano Ronaldo wins €9.8m Juventus wages court battle

January 21, 2026 • 0 • min read

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Cristiano Ronaldo wins €9.8m Juventus wages court battle

Cristiano Ronaldo has won his latest legal battle with Juventus after an Italian court rejected the club's appeal in a long-running wages dispute dating back to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A ruling issued by Turin labour judge Gian Luca Robaldo confirmed that Juventus cannot recover the €9.8 million already paid to Ronaldo, meaning the Portuguese superstar will keep the funds despite the club's efforts to overturn an earlier arbitration decision.

The case has dragged on since Ronaldo left Juventus in 2021 to return to Manchester United, with the forward claiming he was still owed millions in deferred wages.

Why Juventus owed Ronaldo €19.6m

The dispute stems from the financial turmoil during the pandemic, when Juventus and their players agreed to defer salary payments to ease the club's burden as football played behind closed doors.

Ronaldo departed Turin with €19.6 million still outstanding from the Covid period, prompting him to launch legal action in 2023.

The matter was eventually referred to arbitration.

In April 2024, an arbitration panel ordered Juventus to pay Ronaldo half of the outstanding sum, awarding €9.8 million, after it was argued that the private agreement drawn up during the salary deferrals did not carry Ronaldo's signature.

Juventus complied with the payment but appealed the arbitration ruling - a move that has now failed.

Turin court upholds arbitration decision

According to Italian reports, Judge Robaldo rejected Juventus' appeal, confirming that the Serie A club have no legal right to reclaim the money already paid.

Juventus will also have to cover legal costs, although the decision is not expected to cause a further financial blow because the €9.8 million payment had already been accounted for in the club's 2023/24 financial statement.

The Bianconeri are now expected to review the judgment to decide whether there are grounds for another legal challenge - though the latest ruling represents a significant defeat in their attempt to recover the funds.

Juventus president confirmed payment in 2024

Juventus President Gianluca Ferrero revealed in November 2024 that Ronaldo had received the arbitration award earlier that year.

We paid Cristiano Ronaldo in April. We paid 50% of the amount he requested, so there's no need for a risk fund because the amounts have been paid.

Ferrero also confirmed that Juventus intended to contest the ruling, saying the club disagreed with the arbitration panel's decision to split responsibility between player and club, but the appeal has now been dismissed.

Ronaldo's Juventus legacy

Ronaldo spent three seasons at Juventus between 2018 and 2021, joining from Real Madrid in a blockbuster move.

He scored 101 goals in 134 appearances, winning two Scudetti, a Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana, before returning to United in 2021.

After leaving Old Trafford in 2022, he moved to the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, where he continues to score regularly even at the age of 40.

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