Ronaldo is confident he still has 10 years left to play at the top level.

The superstar who just renewed his contract with Real Madrid is very optimistic about the possibility of prolonging his playing career.

"What I want most is to continue enjoying the remaining years that I can play football. I still have 10 more years of playing at the top level," Cristiano Ronaldo said at a press conference right after signing a contract extension with Real on November 7.

Ronaldo is 31 years old this year. If he fulfills the contract he just signed, he will stay at Real Madrid until he is 36 years old. This commitment is said to mean that the Portuguese superstar will stick with the Bernabeu team until he retires. However, Ronaldo does not think so.

"Nobody knows what the future holds," Ronaldo said when asked if he would end his career at Real. "I will be here for another five years, but people should know that this is not my last contract."

"I have said many times that I always keep Real in my heart. The team is a part of me, marking a special period in my life. Of course, I want to end my career with this club, this is only my penultimate contract. I want to stay here for many more years. I want to continue rewriting history with the club," Ronaldo emphasized.

The contract extension is a move that satisfies both sides. Ronaldo continues to be the symbol of the club. Real retains a talented striker and is a magnet for commercial contracts. Photo: Reuters.

President Florentino Perez simply said: "We want to stay together for many more years."

Ronaldo left Man Utd to join Real in a world record deal worth $94 million in the summer of 2009. Over the past seven years, the striker has scored 371 goals, surpassing Raul Gonzalez to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer. With Real, Ronaldo won a La Liga title, two Champions League titles, and two FIFA Ballon d'Or awards.

But at 31, Ronaldo seems to be starting to decline. Since the start of the season, this striker has only scored seven goals in all competitions, far less than his own achievement in the previous seven seasons. Ronaldo, therefore, has to rank behind a reserve striker and junior Spanish striker, Alvaro Morata, in the list of goalscorers for Real.

However, with his great contributions, iconic status and huge commercial appeal for the club, Ronaldo still had his contract extended and received salary incentives from Real.

Ronaldo wants to stay to continue to conquer more major titles with Real. Photo: Realmadrid.com.

According to Spanish sources, the 31-year-old superstar has seen his weekly salary after tax increase from $351,000 (£288,000) to nearly $457,000 (£365,000). Ronaldo has thus retaken the top salary crown from Gareth Bale, who earns $426,500 (£350,000) thanks to his new contract.

According to VNE