Cristiano Ronaldo has embarked on a new journey into football club ownership by purchasing a 25% share in Spanish side Almeria.
The 41-year-old continues to bang in the goals for Al-Nassr as he edges closer to reaching the much-desired 1,000-goal mark, and he is due to represent Portugal at the 2026 World Cup.
However, Ronaldo is also planning for life after he hangs up his boots, and it was confirmed on Thursday that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has become a co-owner of Almeria, who compete in the Spanish second division.
The purchase of Almeria, who are owned by a Saudi Arabian investment consortium led by Mohammed Al-Khereiji, has been made through the recently formed CR7 Sports Investments company.
In a statement, Ronaldo said: "I have long had the ambition to contribute to football beyond the pitch.
"UD Almeria is a Spanish club with a strong foundation and clear growth potential. I wish to work with the team leading the club to support it in its new phase of growth."
President Mohammed Al-Khereiji added: "[Ronaldo] is regarded as the greatest to ever play the game, 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."
Could Ronaldo target Man Utd ownership after Almeira purchase?
Ronaldo’s investment could represent the first step towards owning his former club Manchester United, having previously hinted at how he would fix the club if he had control of operations at Old Trafford.
Speaking at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards in 2024, Ronaldo commented on the Red Devils’ struggles and suggested he could resolve their issues by becoming an owner, saying: "The problem of Manchester United is the same.
"The problem is not always the coach. It's much more than that. If I will be the owner of the club, I will make things clear and adjust things that are bad there."
The Glazer family remain the majority owners of Man United, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS acquired a 27.7% stake in the club in February 2024 and have control of the club's football operations.
After six memorable years at Man United between 2003 and 2009, Ronaldo spent nine trophy-laden years in Spain playing for Real Madrid, before joining Juventus and then returning to Old Trafford in 2021.
The legendary Portuguese forward has since spent almost three full seasons in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, where is the best-paid football in the world with an staggering annual salary of £177m.
Ronaldo’s newly-acquired club Almeria, founded in 1989, currently sit third in the Spanish Segunda and two points behind the summit, as they seek to make a immediate return to La Liga following relegation from the top flight last season.