Ronaldo may appear in court again over rape accusation 

Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s rape accuser has appealed against a US judge’s decision to dismiss the civil case against him.

Kathryn Mayorga’s lawyers are set for a court battle with the superstar’s legal team in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Mayorga, 37, accuses the Man United footballer, also 37, of attacking her in a penthouse suite in Las Vegas in 2009 – an allegation he has always denied.

The case was thrown out in June by US District Judge Jennifer Dorsey who ruled Mayorga’s lawyer had shown “bad faith” and relied on “purloined” confidential documents.

Judge Dorsey blasted the lawsuit’s “frivolous and unconvincing” arguments and said the Portuguese striker had been harmed by it.

Mayorga wants to overturn a £275,000 out-of-court settlement agreed with Ronaldo in 2010 and is seeking a £54million payout.

The allegation was first made public in 2017.

US prosecutors investigated but said he would not face charges. The appeal is just one of a series of troubles on and off the pitch for Ronaldo, who is facing a career crisis, amid calls for him to be sold by Old Trafford.

The Portugal international had previously apologised after he appeared to slap the phone out of the Everton fan’s hand after United lost at Goodison Park in April. Ronaldo – said to be worth £360million – is separately trying to claw back £37,000 of legal costs from Mayorga’s attorney Leslie Stovall.

And there is also an ongoing case over whether Las Vegas police’s investigative files from the case can be handed over to the press.

After Mayorga filed her claim in 2018, Ronaldo said: “I firmly deny the accusations issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in.”