Cristiano Ronaldo was arrested over the alleged rape of two women at a London hotel suite four years before the alleged Las Vegas assault. In 2005, the £100million Portuguese footballer, 33, firmly denied the allegations and the case was ultimately dropped by Scotland Yard.
The then-Manchester United starlet, who was aged 20 at the time, was quizzed by detectives over the alleged incident at the city’s five-star Sanderson Hotel on October 2 of that year.
Ronaldo and a second man, aged in his thirties, were accused by two women of assaulting them after United’s 3-2 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage the previous day.
At the time, the goal-scoring forward told pals we had been “stitched up” after being released on bail.
According to reports, one of the accusers later withdrew her allegation.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ruled there was insufficient evidence to push ahead with a prosecution.
Ronaldo, who played under Sir Alex Ferguson at United from 2003 until 2009, refuted the claims made against him.
He said: “I have been notified that the police investigation has been closed and no action will be taken against me in relation to the allegations made previously.
“I have always strongly maintained my innocence of any wrong-doing and I am glad that this matter is at an end so that I can concentrate on playing for Manchester United.”
The 2005 arrest happened four years before the alleged attack in Las Vegas – another allegation Ronaldo has vehemently denied.
American Kathryn Mayorga, 34, alleges the footballer raped her in a hotel room in Sin City in 2009.
Ronaldo calls the claims “fake news” and says the sex was consensual.
He reportedly previously agreed to pay Ms Mayorga £287,000 to stop her pursuing criminal charges — which could have seen him jailed for life — and gagged her from going public.