Cristiano Ronaldo has officially returned to Spanish football after becoming a shareholder in UD Almería, purchasing 25% of the club’s shares. The former Real Madrid striker, who currently plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, will be part of the ownership group, working alongside current president Mohamed Al-Khereji, a member of the Saudi royal family.
Al-Khereji replaced Turki Al-Sheikh as Almería’s majority shareholder last year and announced his intention to return the Andalusian club to La Liga as soon as possible.
Ronaldo’s investment was made through his company CR7 Sports Investments, which manages a large part of his business ventures. The value of the deal has not been disclosed, but Al-Khereji’s purchase of the club to become the majority shareholder was reportedly worth around €100 million. In a statement released through his company, Ronaldo said:
“I have always had the ambition to contribute to football beyond the pitch. UD Almería is a club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth. I am truly excited to work together with the management to support the next phase of the club’s development.”
Al-Khereji also reacted to the investment, highlighting Ronaldo’s deep knowledge of Spanish football.
“We are pleased that Cristiano has chosen our club to invest in. He is considered the greatest player of all time, he knows Spanish football very well and understands the potential of what we are building here, both in terms of the first team and the academy.”
Earlier this week, several surprising rumors circulated suggesting that Almería was interested in signing Ronaldo, according to Diario AS, but it appears these were related to his purchase of shares in the club rather than a transfer as a player. However, Indykaila News reported that Ronaldo remains interested in a return to top-level European football, even though after leaving Manchester United he did not receive an offer that satisfied him.
Currently, Almería sits third in the Segunda División, just one point away from the positions that secure direct promotion and within the play-off zone, with 15 matches still to be played. The Andalusian club was part of La Liga until 2024 but failed to return via the play-offs last season.
