IT'S DONE!
The deal has been completed! Cristiano Ronaldo will officially play for Serie A champions, Juventus, next season. The much-awaited transfer was announced by Real Madrid's official website:
"Real Madrid CF communicates that, in response to the will and request expressed by the player Cristiano Ronaldo, he has agreed to transfer to Juventus FC.
Today, Real Madrid wants to express its gratitude to a player who has proved to be the best in the world and who has marked one of the brightest times in the history of our club and world football.
Beyond the conquered titles, the trophies achieved and the triumphs achieved in the playing fields during these 9 years, Cristiano Ronaldo has been an example of dedication, work, responsibility, talent and improvement.
He has also become the top scorer in the history of Real Madrid with 451 goals in 438 games. In total 16 titles, including 4 European Cups, 3 of them consecutive and 4 in the last 5 seasons. On an individual basis, with the Real Madrid jersey he has won 4 Gold Balls, 2 The Best, and 3 Gold Boots, among many other awards.
For Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo will always be one of his great symbols and a unique reference for the next generations.
Real Madrid will always be your home."
The Portuguese superstar has signed for Juventus on a four-year deal that is said to have cost Juventus a reported fee of around £105 million.
Naturally, Twitter went absolutely wild as one of football's favourite sons is setting off on a whole new challenge, as word of the transfer spread like wild fire!
Here are some of the best tweets we found:
Real Madrid's captain, Sergio Ramos also took to Twitter to express his gratitude and to convey his good wishes:
Fans of Real Madrid and football, in general, took to social media to express their shock and views after the announcement was made.
Of course, Real Madrid fans are understandably heartbroken...