Cristiano Ronaldo, often referred to as one of the best football players in the world, chose Portugal for investing in the hotel business, while there had been talk that his choice might be Turkey. The famous footballer invested $40 million in four boutique hotels to be opened in four cities that had a major effect on his life.

Ronaldo invested in boutique hotels belonging to the Portuguese tourism giant Pestana Hotel Group, which according to data published by Goal magazine, will have an annual income of $223 million - meaning his investment might be just a drop in the ocean.

Speaking to CNBC, Ronaldo noted that he has always dreamed of owning a hotel. The four boutique hotels will have Ronaldo's own brand, "CR7," and they will be opened in four cities that have had an important effect on his life: Funchal, Lisbon, Ronaldo's hometown; Madrid, where Ronaldo excelled as a footballer; and New York, where he decided to quit football. Ronaldo stated that he is very glad to be doing business with the founder and CEO of Pestana Group, Dionisio Pestana, as he is extremely experienced in the hotel business, not only in Portugal but all around the world. "He is No. 1 in the hotel business, and I'm the No. 1 in football," Ronaldo added.