Cristiano Ronaldo Buys 25% Stake in Saudi-Owned Spanish Club Almeria
Quick Read
- Ronaldo now owns 25% of Spanish club UD Almeria.
- No price tag has been revealed — it’s a long-term play.
- Almeria sit third in Spain’s second division with Saudi backing.
- His focus will be the youth academy and growing the club’s global brand.
- Ronaldo became a billionaire in 2025 with a net worth of $1.4 billion.
- He still plays for Al-Nassr — making him an active player and club owner across two continents.
Cristiano Ronaldo has purchased a 25 percent stake in UD Almeria, a Saudi-owned Spanish second-division club, marking his first formal move into European club ownership. The deal, confirmed on February 26, 2026, was completed through CR7 Sports Investments, a subsidiary of his holding company CR7 S.A., in partnership with the SMC Group consortium led by Saudi investor Mohamed Al-Khereiji.
The Development: What Has Been Confirmed
Ronaldo’s acquisition was announced jointly by CR7 S.A. and UD Almeria’s ownership group on February 26. No financial terms were disclosed, though the move has been described publicly as a long-term strategic investment.
The club confirmed that Ronaldo will take a specific interest in its youth academy operations and international brand development. Club President Mohamed Al-Khereiji, who has maintained a close personal and professional relationship with Ronaldo since facilitating his original move to Saudi Arabia in 2022, will continue to lead the ownership consortium.
In a statement attributed to him across multiple outlets including BBC Sport and ESPN, Ronaldo said it had been a long-time ambition of his to contribute to football beyond the pitch, and that he looked forward to supporting the club through its next phase of growth.
The Ownership Structure and Club Context
UD Almeria was founded in 1989 and currently competes in the Segunda Division, Spain’s second tier. The club was relegated from La Liga in 2024 and acquired by SMC Group, a Saudi Arabian investment firm, in May 2025.
As of late February 2026, Almeria sits third in the Segunda Division table, just one or two points behind leaders Racing Santander, with promotion to La Liga a realistic near-term target.
Ronaldo’s stake is a minority position at 25 percent. The Saudi-led consortium, through SMC Group, retains the majority. This is not Ronaldo’s first equity position in a football club — he holds a share in Al-Nassr FC in Riyadh, where he continues to play as an active professional.
Why This Matters
Career Implications
At 41, Ronaldo remains an active player with Al-Nassr, having extended his contract until June 2027. But the Almeria acquisition signals a deliberate move to build an ownership footprint before he retires. He became the first footballer included in Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index in October 2025, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion.
The timing reflects a broader pattern among elite athletes who seek structural influence within the industry once they sense their playing window narrowing. As noted previously in our coverage of Ronaldo’s competitive psychology, legacy construction has always been central to his identity. Club ownership extends that ambition into a domain where performance alone no longer sets the terms.
Club and Sporting Implications for Almeria
A Ronaldo association is commercially significant regardless of the division the club plays in. The CR7 brand has over 600 million Instagram followers and functions as a media property in its own right. For a club competing in Spain’s second tier, that kind of global visibility is not something money alone can buy.
Strategically, Almeria’s Saudi ownership consortium now has a world-famous face attached to the club’s ambitions. If promotion to La Liga is secured, the commercial upside from that association grows considerably.
The Broader Pattern: Athletes, Equity, and Legacy Control
This reflects a well-documented shift in how elite athletes approach the final phase of their careers. Ownership offers long-term influence that contracts and sponsorship deals cannot. At this stage in a career, strategic control often becomes a priority.
High-profile athletes have increasingly diversified into equity positions over the past decade. LeBron James, David Beckham, and Ryan Reynolds — among others — have each used club ownership or investment to extend their relevance and income generation well beyond their playing years. Ronaldo’s Almeria stake fits neatly into that template.
From a legacy perspective, owning a stake in a Spanish club — even a second-division one — carries symbolism. Ronaldo spent the best years of his playing career with Real Madrid. His connection to Spanish football runs deep. A foothold in the Spanish football pyramid, even through a minority stake, suggests he intends to remain part of that ecosystem long after his boots are retired.
The Saudi dimension also matters. This is not a standalone personal investment. It is a move made within an existing network — Al-Khereiji’s SMC Group, the same consortium that underpins the Saudi football boom Ronaldo helped catalyse. The collaboration suggests that Ronaldo’s relationships inside the Kingdom are evolving from contractual to structural.
The Wider Ownership Shift in Saudi Football Strategy
The Almeria move follows a trend of Saudi-backed investors expanding into European football clubs. The acquisition of Newcastle United by the Public Investment Fund, and the ongoing investment in clubs across Europe, reflects a multi-front strategy to build influence across the global game.
Within Saudi Arabia itself, the football ownership landscape is also evolving. As reported in our analysis of the first foreign purchase of a Saudi club, Vision 2030 is actively encouraging privatisation and foreign investment in domestic football. Ronaldo is part of a broader network of capital, relationship, and ambition that now spans continents.
The Saudi Pro League’s winter transfer activity earlier this season — including Karim Benzema’s move to Al-Hilal, which Ronaldo publicly contested — illustrated the tensions that arise when star players believe the investment structure is skewed against them. The Almeria investment could be read, at least in part, as Ronaldo ensuring he has skin in the game in a league and country outside PIF’s direct jurisdiction.
What Happens Next
Almeria’s promotion push will be the immediate focus. Third in the Segunda Division with games to play, the club is a genuine promotion candidate. If they go up, Ronaldo’s first season as a European club co-owner would begin with his club playing in La Liga — the division where he made his global name.
On the pitch, Ronaldo continues his Saudi Pro League campaign with Al-Nassr. He has been in form, scoring braces and driving a title challenge under Jorge Jesus. His contract runs to June 2027, so the question of whether Almeria ownership could eventually lead to a playing return to Spain remains premature — but not entirely implausible, depending on how the next 18 months unfold.
What is certain is that the deal positions Ronaldo as a multi-role figure in world football: still a playing professional in Saudi Arabia, and now a club owner in Spain. That duality is unprecedented among players of his stature. His approach to the ownership role — specifically how involved he becomes beyond branding — will be worth watching closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What stake has Cristiano Ronaldo bought in Almeria?
Ronaldo has acquired a 25 percent minority stake in UD Almeria through CR7 Sports Investments, a subsidiary of his holding company CR7 S.A. The deal was confirmed on February 26, 2026. No purchase price was disclosed.
Who owns UD Almeria?
Almeria is majority-owned by SMC Group, a Saudi Arabian investment firm headed by Mohamed Al-Khereiji. The group acquired the club in May 2025. Ronaldo’s CR7 Sports Investments now holds a 25 percent stake within that consortium.
Will Ronaldo play for Almeria?
There is no indication that Ronaldo intends to play for Almeria. He remains contracted to Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League until June 2027. His role at Almeria is as a co-owner with a focus on the club’s youth academy and commercial development.
What division does Almeria play in?
UD Almeria currently competes in Spain’s Segunda Division — the second tier of Spanish football. The club was relegated from La Liga in 2024 and is currently a promotion contender, sitting third in the table as of late February 2026.
Is this Ronaldo’s first football club ownership stake?
No. Ronaldo also holds an equity stake in Al-Nassr FC, his current club in Saudi Arabia. The Almeria acquisition is, however, his first ownership position in European football.
Editorial note: All financial details in this article are drawn from reports by BBC Sport, ESPN, The Guardian and beIN Sports, all published February 26, 2026. No financial figures have been independently verified by this publication.
Written by Maryam Khalid, psychology researcher and sports-business analyst. Maryam specialises in behavioural insights in media and sport.