Cristiano Ronaldo buys stake in Saudi-owned second-tier Spanish club

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ALMERIA, Spain (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo has purchased a stake in Spanish second-division club Almeria, a consulting firm representing the Portuguese soccer star said on Thursday.

Brunswick Group said in a statement that Ronaldo bought a 25% share of the club that has a Saudi Arabian owner.

Ronaldo, 41, moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr at the end of 2022.

“It has been a long-time ambition of mine to contribute to football, beyond the pitch. UD Almería is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth,” Ronaldo said in the statement.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner bought the stake in Almeria through his CR7 Sports Investments subsidiary, according to Brunswick Group.

Almeria has been under control of Saudi Arabian owners for over six years. Mohamed Al-Khereiji became the new owner and president of the club at in the summer of 2025 when he bought it from Turki Al Alsheikh.

“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.”

The financial details were not disclosed.

Almeria did not immediately respond to an email request by the Associated Press asking for more details on the deal.

Almeria is currently in third place in Spain's second division. It was most recently in the first division in 2023-24.

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