Around the age of 35 or 90, most people consider learning to play the flute or finally getting around to gardening or baking sourdough. Then there is Cristiano Ronaldo, who indulges his lower instincts while playing a few games for a living, by buying more crown jewels for a bankroll that makes Scrooge McDuck look the part of a novice saver. The Portuguese superstar just bought a flattering 25% stake in Spanish second team UD Almería, thus advancing his presence into the business side of European football.
Ronaldo’s power move was over his own CR7 Sports Investments, and here he made no bones about it; he would not be abandoning the pitch altogether. He’s not just filling the goal scoreboard; he’s bringing his big brain to the boardroom, where he’s going to mold future Spanish talent. The club in Almería, which has a flurry of activity to develop in its academy and is keen to make a return to La Liga, embraced the world icon with open arms and a massive surge in social media fans.
This is a strategic move into club ownership that doesn’t even come close to tapping into the CR7 economic machine, which remains alive and well on a staggering $1.4 billion fortune. From high-paying playing contracts in Saudi Arabia to luxury hotel chains, high-end fitness clubs, tech businesses, and his unstoppable personal brand, Ronaldo’s famous work ethic has become an unstoppable money-spinner off the pitch. Buying a chunk of a Spanish club is simply the latest play in a masterclass on how to build a lasting legacy that endures long after the final whistle blows.
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