Cristiano Ronaldo has acquired a 25 percent stake in UD Almería, the Spanish second-division football club, through his CR7 Sports Investments subsidiary, a move announced Thursday, February 26, 2026. The investment, however, carries significant financial risk, according to soccer finance expert Professor Rob Wilson, who estimates Ronaldo could lose up to $20 million if the club fails to achieve promotion to LaLiga.
The Portuguese star, currently playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, made the investment with the stated ambition of contributing to football beyond his playing career. “For some time, I have had the ambition to contribute to football beyond the field. UD Almeria is a Spanish club with a solid base and clear growth potential. I wish to work with the team that leads it to support the club in its new phase of growth,” Ronaldo said in a statement released by Brunswick Group.
Wilson, speaking to OLBG, characterized the investment as a “less conventional” one, leaning more towards a “strategic brand opportunity” for Ronaldo than a straightforward financial play. He explained that minority stakes in football clubs rarely yield immediate cash returns, with the primary benefit being potential commercial expansion and increased global visibility linked to Ronaldo’s brand.
The financial risk stems from the volatile nature of football club valuations. Wilson cautioned that if Almería fails to control costs and secure promotion to LaLiga, the club’s valuation could stagnate or even decline. “The downside is a loss of up to 30 per cent in enterprise value, so his 25 per cent holding would decline proportionately. If we assume his stake in the club is worth $67 million, then his loss could be up to $20 million, depending on the severity,” he stated. However, Wilson also noted the potential for significant gains, suggesting Ronaldo could double his investment if Almería performs well over the next five to ten years.
UD Almería, currently in third place in LaLiga Hypermotion with 49 points after 28 games, is owned by Saudi businessman Mohamed Al-Khereiji, who also leads the SMC Group, a company closely connected to Al-Nassr. Al-Khereiji expressed his pleasure at Ronaldo’s investment, stating that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner “is the greatest player of all time, knows the Spanish leagues very well and understands the potential of what we are building here both in terms of the team and the academy.”
Ronaldo previously played for Real Madrid for nine seasons and is the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. He visited Almería’s Power Horse Stadium in August 2025 for a test match with Al-Nassr, personally assessing the club’s infrastructure. Almería was relegated from La Liga in 2023-24, but has been under Saudi ownership for over six years.