Cristiano Ronaldo has bought 25 percent of Spanish club UD Almeria – the rest remains in the possession of a Saudi Arabian investment company.
UD Almeria confirmed the entry of the football stars on Thursday (February 26, 2026). “UD Almería is a club with a solid foundation and clear growth potential. I look forward to working with the management team and supporting the club’s next phase of growth”Ronaldo was quoted as saying in a statement.
The club did not disclose the amount of money Ronaldo paid for the shares through his company CR7 Sport Investments. Almeria last played in the Spanish first division in the 2023/24 season and is currently hoping for a return to the upper house as third in the second-tier Segunda División.
Almeria in Saudi Arabian possession
“We are very pleased that Cristiano has chosen our club. He is considered the best player in history, knows Spanish football very well and understands the potential of what we are building here”said club president Mohamed al Khereiji.
Mohamed al Khereiji heads the Saudi Arabian investment company SMC, which owns the club. Almeria has been in Saudi Arabian hands since 2019, when government employee Turki Al-Sheikh took over the club. In 2025 he handed the club over to the SMC Group.
Business connection between Ronaldo and Saudi Arabia is growing
Cristiano Ronaldo is also deepening his business relationships with Saudi Arabia. He has been playing for al-Nassr in the Saudi Arabian league since 2023. On August 10, 2025, Ronaldo and his club played a friendly match in Almeria.
Ronaldo was also a face of Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 Men’s World Cup. FIFA awarded the World Cup in a competition without any competition, with the approval of the DFB, to the country in which serious human rights violations are the order of the day. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and the state oil company Aramco are sponsors of FIFA
