Cristiano Ronaldo's Almeria Acquisition Moves to the Spanish League

RIYADH, FRIDAY – After last playing in La Liga in 2018 with Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to the country not as a footballer, but as an investor. Ronaldo has purchased a 25 percent stake in the second division club in Spain, UD Almeria.

This move makes him a co-owner of the club alongside a Saudi Arabian investment consortium led by Mohammed Al-Khereiji (who currently serves as the President of Almeria). As he approaches the twilight of his career, Ronaldo is increasingly diversifying his ventures outside the green pitch.

There are no detailed financial reports yet, including how much Ronaldo spent to acquire a portion of Almeria's shares. In his statement, Ronaldo only mentioned that he hopes to collaborate with the leadership team to support the club's next phase of growth.

"It has long been my ambition to contribute to football, beyond the pitch. UD Almería is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear growth potential," Ronaldo said in a statement, as quoted by BBC Sport, Friday (27/2/2026).

Al-Khereiji welcomed Ronaldo's decision to invest in Almeria with enthusiasm. He hinted that Ronaldo is likely to be very involved in the club's youth player development program.

Almeria was purchased by Al-Khereiji last year from Turki Al-Sheikh. Almeria was established in 1989 and currently occupies the third position in the second division of the Spanish League. They are two points behind the league leader, Real Racing Club, with 15 matches remaining. This means that Almeria's chances of being promoted to the top division are very promising.

Ronaldo's experience during his nine-year career in La Liga, according to Al-Khereiji, will greatly assist Almeria in emerging as a new force. Since its establishment, Almeria has experienced ups and downs in performance.

Ronaldo is listed as having stakes in a drinking water brand, a healthy lifestyle app, and a recovery products company, as well as underwear, perfume, and footwear.

The club has been promoted and relegated to the second division several times. The last time Almeria played in the top division was in the 2023-2024 season. However, they were subsequently relegated after finishing in 19th place.

"Ronaldo is the greatest player of all time. He is very familiar with the Spanish leagues and understands the potential of what we are building here, both in terms of the team and the academy," said Al Khereiji.

Almeria is not the first club in which Ronaldo holds shares. Since joining Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League in 2023, Ronaldo has also owned shares in that club. He became the first footballer to enter Bloomberg's "Billionaires Index" last October.

About 10 years ago, Ronaldo had not considered a life outside of football. His daily routine was solely focused on maintaining physical fitness, training with the club, and participating in matches. His teammates advised Ronaldo regarding his monotonous lifestyle.

They suggest that Ronaldo should start considering activities outside of the green field. Without this, they say Ronaldo may face bankruptcy. Therefore, he needs to venture into business aspects.

Ronaldo listened to the advice. He then began to engage in business to remain relevant after retirement. His first step into business started in 2016. At that time, he partnered with a hotel group to open a property venture in Madeira, his hometown.

In the early stages of starting his business, Ronaldo remained focused on the field. He only invested his money while entrusting it to trusted individuals. Gradually, in addition to investing money, Ronaldo also began to enjoy the process, including business meetings and strategizing for the company.

The culture of discipline in maintaining physical condition, which allows him to remain productive in scoring goals at the age of 41, is also applied in managing the company.

According to the Forbes ranking for 2025, Ronaldo earned nearly 210 million pounds (Rp 4.7 trillion) both on and off the field. Of this amount, more than 50 million pounds (Rp 1.1 trillion) came from non-football-related businesses.

Currently, Ronaldo is increasingly focusing his business efforts on investment and lifestyle companies. He owns stakes in a drinking water brand, a healthy lifestyle app, and a recovery products company, as well as underwear, perfume, and footwear.

In addition to share ownership, he also has important partnerships with leading brands, opening fitness centers across Portugal and Spain, as well as launching a variety of watches.

Ronaldo's exploits on the green field are indeed nearing their end. However, with his business empire, he is ready to embark on a new chapter after more than 20 years in professional football. (REUTERS)