Cristiano Ronaldo's recent investment in Spanish second-tier side Almeria may suffer a financial blow if the club fails to secure promotion to La Liga this season, potentially derailing his long-held ambition to invest in Manchester United, according to a football finance expert.
The 41-year-old Portuguese star, through his company CR7 Sports Investments, purchased a 25 per cent stake in Almeria last month, joining an ownership group led by Saudi investor Mohamed Al-Khereiji. The club is currently battling for promotion, but failure to achieve it could see Ronaldo's stake depreciate significantly.
Professor Rob Wilson, a football finance expert speaking to OLBG, warned that Ronaldo could face a loss of up to 30 per cent in enterprise value, translating to a potential £10 million to £15 million hit on his £50 million stake. 'If the club fails to control its costs and secure promotion, the valuation could stagnate or fall,' Wilson said.
Ronaldo has previously hinted at buying a stake in Manchester United, his former club. At the 2024 Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, he said: 'If I will be the owner of the club, I will make things clear and adjust things that are bad there.' However, a loss on his Almeria investment could scupper those plans.
Wilson described the Almeria deal as 'a strategic brand opportunity' rather than a short-term financial move, noting that minority stakes rarely deliver meaningful cash returns. He estimated the short-term impact on Ronaldo's off-field earnings, which are in the hundreds of millions annually, at up to £5 million per year.
