Cristiano Ronaldo now holds a 25% stake in Spanish club Almeria, marking another chapter in his journey as an investor in football. This announcement came Thursday, emphasizing Ronaldo’s growing influence beyond just playing on the pitch.
The acquisition is channeled through his newly established firm, CR7 Sports Investments. Ronaldo’s portfolio already includes a stake in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, a club he has been actively involved with since 2023. Almeria largely remains under the ownership of the Saudi consortium SMC Group, led by Mohamed al-Khereiji, who assumed presidency in May last year.
Details about the financial terms of this deal are still undisclosed.
“Supporting football has been a longstanding aspiration of mine,” Ronaldo expressed in a statement from CR7 Sports Investments. “I am excited to collaborate with the leadership team and assist as the club moves into its next growth phase.”
Khereiji pointed out that Ronaldo’s arrival could positively impact the club’s youth programs. Rubi, Almeria’s head coach, echoed this sentiment, suggesting that the Portugal international could influence the club at various levels.
“We’re genuinely thrilled,” he stated. “Cristiano’s extensive knowledge of sports can significantly benefit a club like ours. This development is exciting not just for the club but for the entire community and province. His long-standing rapport with the owners adds to this excitement. The specifics of when I learned of his involvement are less important than the fact that he’s now a part of us.”
Currently, Almeria sits in third place within the Segunda Division, just a point shy of direct promotion to LaLiga. They remain firmly in playoff contention among teams ranked third to sixth. The team was relegated the previous season, finishing 19th with only 21 points from 38 matches after a spell in Spain’s top division.
Almeria’s best-ever performance in LaLiga occurred during the 2007-08 season when they achieved an eighth-place finish as a freshly-promoted team. During that time, their coach was Unai Emery, and Alvaro Negredo, a future Euro-winning athlete with Spain and Premier League champion with Manchester City, was their standout goal scorer.
