Cristiano Ronaldo has already started thinking about his next step after admitting he can't play out his role as an elite Real Madrid superstar forever.

The 30-year-old forward is expected to leave Real at the end of this season and has big plans in place for his future, having conceded that 'life won't always be like this'.

On Thursday, Ronaldo unveiled his biggest non-football career project yet, a £54million range of 'CR7' hotels in three cities linked to his career: Funchal, Lisbon and Madrid – and another that he has been linked with a future move to: New York.

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) poses with Dionisio Pestana, owner of the Pestana Hotel Group, in Lisbon on Thursday

Ronaldo laughs during the unveiling in Lisbon... the Real Madrid forward is looking at life after football

Ronaldo shared an Instagram picture with agent Jorge Mendes (right) on his return home, accompanied by the caption: 'Business done! Flying in style!'

And the Portuguese star made it clear that the partnership with his country's Pestana Hotel Group was the next step into preparing for life after his peak.

'My job is to play football, but life won't always be like this,' Ronaldo said. 'I have to dedicate myself to this new project and I have the best team in the world around me.

'I am young but I feel very fulfilled so this project is exciting for me. I'm thinking about my future, and my son and my family.

Earlier, Ronaldo had poured cold water on talk of a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer by admitting he preferred Madrid as a city.

The French capital is not one of the locations targeted in his new career move, which instead chooses to focus mainly on areas key to his upbringing and career.

The first hotel is scheduled to open in summer 2016, in Madeira, where Ronaldo was born. It will be followed by Lisbon – where he moved as a youngster and played for Sporting Lisbon - in late 2016. A Madrid site is due for a launch in 2017.

Ronaldo has announced four hotels, to open in four different cities - Funchal, Lisbon, Madrid and New York

Ronaldo appeared at the Pestana Palace Hotel in Lisbon on Thursday to discuss the idea behind the hotels

Joking about his input on the project, Ronaldo laughed: 'I'll take care of the beds!'

He added: 'I will have the opportunity to be present as all the projects unroll but, of course, I don't have much time available at the present but this is all about quality. And I like to be around quality.

'I'm certain that this investment is surely one of the safest deals that I can capitalise on for my future.'

The former Manchester United winger has not plumped for an English location although there will be a hotel opening in New York in 2017.

Ronaldo is currently at the peak of his playing career, but says he wants to be involved as much as he can

Ronaldo (right) is opening a hotel in New York, fuelling rumours he could be set for a footballing move to MLS

He has previously stated an ambition to play in Major League Soccer and another link to the Big Apple after he bought an £11.1m apartment there earlier this year could be seen as an opportunity to one day play for New York City or New York Red Bulls when his career winds down.

'The first hotel will be in Madeira and I want to be at the opening of all of them,' Ronaldo said.

'I'm very happy with Madeira and the second being in Madrid - where I play - so it makes a lot of sense. I'm extremely happy because this is the biggest project in my life and it's completely different to what I do.

The first hotel opened by Ronaldo will be in Madeira, the city of his birth, before the second in Lisbon

There are no CR7 hotels opening in England yet, despite the Portuguese's six years at Manchester United

Ronaldo (right) played at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson (centre) from 2003 to 2009

'We were considering only one hotel originally, so to start with four locations is a big kick-off! It's like playing for the first time and suddenly scoring lots of goals.

'This came about naturally and it made me feel good about this project, that's why when you ask about the future, I don't know.'

Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes was present at Thursday's unveiling just hours after working with Jose Mourinho, another of his clients, on his exit from Chelsea.