According to reports, Cristiano Ronaldo attempted to prevent the release of police files related to a sexual assault case against him, which a court will hear next week.

The Manchester United and Portugal striker is accused of rapping US citizen Kathryn Mayorga in a hotel room in 2009, just weeks before joining Real Madrid for a then-world record fee.

According to The Mirror, Ronaldo is fighting an attempt by the New York Times newspaper to gain access to the documents held by Las Vegas cops.

The allegation, which Ronaldo has always denied, first surfaced in 2018 after a German magazine Der Spiegel conducted an investigation prompted by information obtained by the Football Leaks website.

According to The Mirror, Ronaldo’s legal team claims that Football Leaks obtained the information illegally and violated attorney-client confidentiality.

Ms Mayora’s lawyers agree that the information should not be published until a court has ruled on whether it violates the footballer’s legal rights, but they believe the remaining documents, which are said to number in the hundreds, should be made available to The New York Times.

According to The Mirror, Judge Jennifer A Dorsey will hear both sides’ legal arguments in court on Tuesday, with a final hearing on Ronaldo’s efforts to keep the files out of the public domain set for a later date.

A Las Vegas court recommended that the case be dismissed last October.

According to The Mirror and Der Spiegel, Ronaldo paid £375,000.00 to Ms Mayorga 12 years ago.

After being inspired by the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct following allegations made against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and other well-known figures, she sought to overturn the original settlement in 2018.

She is now seeking damages and costs totaling more than £56 million.

Ronaldo has always claimed that his relationship with Mayorga was mutually beneficial.

‘I vehemently deny the allegations leveled against me,’ Ronaldo stated in 2018. Rape is a heinous crime that contradicts everything I stand for.’

Georgina Rodriguez, a 26-year-old Spanish model, has also defended Ronaldo in the wake of the allegations.