Cristiano Ronaldo Buys 25% Stake in UD Almería
Cristiano Ronaldo has acquired a 25% stake in Segunda División side UD Almería through his new investment vehicle, CR7 Sports Investments.
Cristiano Ronaldo is moving into Spanish football ownership — and he’s gone for Almería, currently sitting third in the Segunda División, as his first port of call.
The deal itself
The announcement came via an official statement on Thursday, confirming that the 41-year-old Al-Nassr striker has snapped up a 25% stake in UD Almería. The purchase was made through CR7 Sports Investments, a brand new subsidiary of his existing company CR7 SA — the vehicle through which he manages his various business interests and investments.
No financial details were disclosed. Classic move, that — big announcement, keep the numbers well and truly under wraps.
What Ronaldo actually said
In the statement, CR7 described it as a long-term commitment to professional football ownership and a significant milestone in his life as an entrepreneur. He talked about wanting to contribute to football beyond the pitch, calling Almería “a Spanish club with a strong foundation and clear growth potential.”
One quote, and one quote only: “I desire to work with the team leading it to support the club in its new growth phase” — which, fair enough, is about as Ronaldo as it gets. Measured, ambitious, very much on-brand.
Why Almería, though?
On the face of it, it’s a curious choice — but actually, when you dig into it, it makes a fair bit of sense:
- Almería are third in the Liga Hypermotion (Spain’s second tier), so there’s genuine promotion potential right now
- The club has existing links to Gulf investment through president Mohamed Al Khereiji, which fits neatly with Ronaldo’s Saudi connections
- It’s a club with a proper academy setup and room to grow, rather than a finished article
- Spain is a market Ronaldo knows better than most, having spent the best part of a decade at Real Madrid
Al Khereiji himself was well chuffed, pointing out that Ronaldo “knows the Spanish leagues very well and understands the potential of what we are building here.”
The bigger picture
This is clearly part of a wider play for Ronaldo post-playing career. Buying into a club fighting for promotion to La Liga — rather than splashing out on a top-flight side — suggests he wants to be involved in building something, not just sticking his name on a trophy cabinet.
Whether he ends up with more influence than a silent 25% minority shareholder typically gets remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: Almería just got a lot more eyes on them. The Ronaldo effect is real, and Segunda División or not, this story is going global.