Cristiano Ronaldo buys stake in Saudi-owned Spanish club as he eyes impact ‘beyond the pitch’ | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo has acquired a stake in Spanish second-division club Almeria, a consulting firm representing the Portuguese football icon confirmed on Thursday.

Brunswick Group stated that Ronaldo purchased a 25 per cent share in the club, which is under Saudi Arabian ownership.

The 41-year-old, who moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr at the end of 2022, made the investment through his CR7 Sports Investments subsidiary.

Expressing his long-held ambition, Ronaldo said: "It has been a long-time ambition of mine to contribute to football, beyond the pitch. UD Almería is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth."

Almeria has been controlled by Saudi Arabian owners for over six years. Mohamed Al-Khereiji assumed ownership and presidency of the club in the summer of 2025, having acquired it from Turki Al Alsheikh.

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Ronaldo recently went on strike but has since returned to the pitch for Al-Nassr (Reuters)

Al-Khereiji welcomed the investment, stating: "We are very pleased that Cristiano has chosen our club to invest in.

“He knows the Spanish leagues very well and he understands the potential of what we are building here both in terms of the team and the academy."

The financial specifics of the deal were not disclosed. Almeria, currently positioned third in Spain's second division, was most recently in the first division during the 2023-24 season.

Ronaldo appears to looking towards the future as he nears the end of his illustrious career, but he is still going strong on the pitch in Saudi Arabia.

With the World Cup just around the corner, Ronaldo has scored 22 goals in 25 appearances across all competitions this season.

He recently went on strike due to his frustration with Al-Nassr’s January transfer business.

However, he returned to action on 14 February after ending his strike, and has since scored four goals in three matches after celebrating his 41st birthday earlier this month.