_updates.jpg)
Cristiano Ronaldo has taken a major football decision ahead of his last FIFA World Cup.
According to Al Jazeera, Ronaldo has bought a stake in Spanish second-division football club Almeria, according to a consulting firm representing the Portuguese athlete.
Brunswick Group said in a statement on Thursday, February 26, that Ronaldo bought a 25 percent share of the club that has a Saudi Arabian owner.
The 41-year-old moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr at the end of 2022.
“It has been a longtime ambition of mine to contribute to football, beyond the pitch. UD Almeria is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth,” Ronaldo said in the statement.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who spent nine years at Real Madrid and is the club’s all-time top goalscorer, bought the stake in Almeria through his CR7 Sports Investments subsidiary, according to Brunswick Group.
Almeria has been under the control of Saudi Arabian owners for more than six years.
Saudi businessman Mohamed al-Khereiji became the new owner and president of the club in 2025 when he bought it from Turki Alalshikh, who, in his role as head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has become a key figure in sports promotion.
“We are very pleased that Cristiano has chosen our club to invest in,” al-Khereiji said in the statement. “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.”
Almeria are currently in third place in Spain’s second division. They were relegated from La Liga in 2023-24.
