Lisbon: Cristiano Ronaldo told Portuguese television on Tuesday that "2018 was the most difficult year on a personal level." Ronaldo had to deal with rape allegations last year after former model Kathryn Mayorga filed a complaint in September alleging she was sexually assaulted by the footballer in 2009 in a Las Vegas hotel room.

The case was dismissed in a Nevada court in June, though the filing did not say if Ronaldo had agreed a settlement. He denies the accusation, although he has reportedly acknowledged that he paid Mayorga in an earlier settlement.