27 February 2026
The announcement that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo owns a 25% stake in Almería has sparked widespread debate in Spanish sporting circles.
The Portuguese star has entered the world of club ownership despite his professional football career not yet being over, as he is still under contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr until June 2027. The question now on everyone's mind is: can Ronaldo play in the future for the club in which he owns a stake?
Amendments to the Spanish Football Federation's regulations, introduced in February 2025, along with provisions of the sports law issued by the Spanish Higher Sports Council, prohibit any direct commercial relationship between an active player and the competitions in which he participates within the country.
These rules aim to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure the integrity of competition. According to these rules, a professional player owning a stake in a club that is subject to the same competition could constitute a legal conflict that would prevent him from registering and participating in the tournament. These amendments stem from a controversy years ago involving Gerard Piqué, the former Barcelona player, after one of his companies brokered an agreement with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to move the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
At the time, suspicions of a conflict of interest arose, particularly since Piqué was an active player when the agreement was made with the Federation, then headed by Luis Rubiales.
As a result, regulations were introduced that tightened restrictions on players' commercial relationships with competition organizers.
This means that Ronaldo will be barred from playing for Almería – or any other Spanish club – due to the clear conflict of interest.
Almería plays in the Spanish Second Division and currently sits third in the standings with 48 points after 27 rounds.
Almería is just two points behind league leaders Racing Santander and one point behind Castellón.
