CR7 faces forking out £17MILLION to build his dream retirement home in Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo will now have to pay £17million to build his new home in the 'Portuguese Riviera' for his family to use when he retires.

The Manchester United forward, 37, bought a large plot of land in Quinta da Marinha, Cascais, on the west coast of his home country Portugal, nicknamed the 'Portuguese Riviera' given its status as a prestigious, expensive area in September.

The former Real Madrid and Juventus star had previously set aside £10m for the build, but that has now almost doubled due to the surge in cost of materials, and of course Ronaldo's desire for perfection.

Reports previously suggested that Ronaldo is planning to settle down there with his family when he eventually hangs up his boots.

A well-placed source told The Sun: 'He's strived for perfection throughout his soccer career and he wants the same off the pitch.

'He wants everything just right for him and his family.

'He's going to retire there once his career comes to an end and wants to be 100 per cent happy with it.'

Another insider said: 'The initial budget was around £10million but that is now £17million.

'He spares no effort to ensure he and his loved ones are as happy and comfortable as possible.

'There have been some changes to the original project.

'But a lot of the price hike is to do with the increase in the cost of building materials.

'Everyone knows they've soared. It's a problem that's not just affected Portugal.'

The Red Devils star splashed out on the most expensive flat ever sold in Lisbon, Portugal's capital city, in 2020 - paying £6.5m for a state-of-the-art 3,100-square foot pad in Avenida da Liberdade with a gym and an indoor swimming pool.

The star forward also owns properties including a seven-storey apartment block in Funchal, Madeira, where his mother Dolores, 66, and brother Hugo live after he bought it two years ago.

Ronaldo, along with partner Georgina Rodriguez and his four children, also owns a luxury villa in Turin, Italy from his time at Juventus, as well as a £4.8million mansion on a gated fortress estate called La Finca close to Madrid.

This is the latest property added to his collection, although Ronaldo doesn't seem ready to retire just yet, despite the building works expected to be finished late next year.