Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus are continuing their long legal battle after the Italian club took the €9.8m dispute to the country’s highest court.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus Legal Battle Takes Major New Turn Over €9.8m Payment

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus are continuing their long legal battle after the Italian club took the dispute over a €9.8 million payment to Italy’s highest court.

The case is linked to salary agreements made during the Covid period, when Juventus and several players agreed to delay or reduce payments.

Ronaldo originally claimed that he was still owed around €19.6 million.

However, the latest development is not about Juventus refusing to pay him. The club has already paid Ronaldo €9.8 million and is now trying to overturn the decision that forced them to do so.

Juventus take Ronaldo case to Italy’s highest court

Juventus have confirmed that they appealed to the Corte di Cassazione, Italy’s highest court.

The club wants the court to review the previous decisions that went in Ronaldo’s favour.

The appeal was submitted earlier in 2026, but the case has now returned to attention after Juventus included new details in their latest financial report.

No hearing date has yet been confirmed.

Ronaldo originally demanded almost €20 million

The dispute began after Ronaldo left Juventus for Manchester United in 2021.

The Portuguese star argued that Juventus still owed him around €19.6 million from salary agreements made during the pandemic.

The case later went to arbitration.

In April 2024, the arbitration panel ruled that Ronaldo should receive around half of the amount he had requested.

Juventus were ordered to pay approximately €9.8 million, plus interest and inflation adjustments.

Why Ronaldo did not receive the full amount

The arbitration panel did not fully accept Ronaldo’s claim.

Instead, it found that Juventus had some responsibility because negotiations over the payment had not been properly completed.

However, the panel did not rule that Juventus had intentionally tried to deceive Ronaldo.

That is why the final award was around half of the original €19.6 million claim.

Juventus already paid Ronaldo

This is one of the most important details in the case.

Juventus confirmed in their financial documents that they had already paid the €9.8 million amount to Ronaldo during the 2023/24 financial year.

So Ronaldo is not currently waiting for Juventus to send him the money.

The legal battle is now about whether Juventus can successfully overturn the decision that forced them to make the payment.

Juventus already lost another appeal

After the arbitration decision, Juventus challenged the ruling in court.

But in January 2026, the Turin Labour Court rejected the club’s appeal.

That decision allowed Ronaldo to keep the money he had been awarded.

Juventus have now taken the case one step further by appealing to the Corte di Cassazione.

Could Ronaldo have to return the money?

If Juventus eventually win at Italy’s highest court, the case could become very important for Ronaldo financially.

A successful appeal could potentially open the door for Juventus to recover some or all of the €9.8 million already paid.

However, that is not guaranteed.

No final decision has been made, and the outcome will depend on how the highest court views the legal arguments presented by Juventus.

The famous ‘Ronaldo document’ at the centre of the case

The dispute is closely connected to a document often called the “Carta Ronaldo”.

The document was found during investigations into Juventus’ finances.

It reportedly referred to around €19.5 million that the club would pay Ronaldo at a later date.

One of the major problems is that the document did not carry Ronaldo’s signature, which became an important part of the legal dispute.

Juventus say the previous ruling did not review everything

Juventus have argued that the previous court decision did not fully reconsider the entire dispute.

According to the club, the January ruling mainly looked at legal and procedural issues surrounding the arbitration decision.

Juventus believe this gives them grounds to continue the case at the highest level.

The club therefore remains confident enough to keep fighting despite losing the previous legal rounds.

No new financial impact expected for Juventus

Juventus have also tried to calm concerns about the effect of the case on the club’s finances.

The €9.8 million payment has already been included in previous financial accounts.

The club therefore says it does not currently expect the legal battle to create another major negative impact on future financial reports.

That could change only if the final court decision creates new obligations for either side.

Ronaldo and Juventus relationship remains complicated

Ronaldo spent three seasons at Juventus between 2018 and 2021.

He scored more than 100 goals for the club and won two Serie A titles.

But his departure was followed by several financial and legal questions.

The salary dispute has now continued for years and remains one of the biggest unresolved issues from Ronaldo’s time in Turin.

Legal battle far from over

Ronaldo has already won the two most important decisions so far.

First, the arbitration panel awarded him around €9.8 million.

Then, the Turin Labour Court rejected Juventus’ attempt to overturn that ruling.

But Juventus are refusing to give up.

The case has now reached Italy’s highest court, meaning the final chapter of the Ronaldo-Juventus legal battle may still be some distance away.