Cristiano Ronaldo has acquired a 25% stake in Saudi-owned Spanish second-division club UD Almeria, marking a major step in his ambitions as a football club owner. The announcement was made Thursday through his sports holding company, CR7 Sports Investments, which did not disclose financial details of the deal.
“This strategic investment in UD Almeria reflects Ronaldo’s long-term commitment to professional football ownership,” the statement said, quoting Ronaldo: “It has been a long-time ambition of mine to contribute to football.”
Almeria, owned by the Saudi group SMC, were last in La Liga in 2024 and currently sit third in the Spanish second division, one point shy of automatic promotion. Ronaldo praised the club for its “strong foundations and clear potential for growth” and said he looks forward to supporting the team’s next phase of development.
Mohamed Al Khereiji, Almeria’s president, indicated that Ronaldo will be actively involved in the club’s youth program. “He knows the Spanish leagues very well and understands the potential of what we are building,” Al Khereiji said.
Ronaldo, who has played for Al-Nassr since 2023, also owns a stake in the Saudi club. Last October, he became the first footballer to enter Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index. He recently returned to Al-Nassr’s first team after a dispute over the winter transfer window managed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which controls four Saudi clubs, and has scored four goals in his last three games.
The 41-year-old forward is expected to participate in his sixth World Cup next summer, though he has hinted it may be his final tournament
