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September 23, 2025
Ronaldo isn’t planning to step away from football once he retires. Instead, the Portuguese star has revealed an ambition to own several clubs across the globe. From his business empire to his long-term vision, Ronaldo’s post-playing chapter could be just as ambitious as his record-breaking career.
Cristiano Ronaldo has spent more than two decades rewriting the standards of football. But while his career still has a couple of years left at the top, he has already started mapping out what comes next. The Portuguese star has revealed a plan that surprises some fans: not coaching, not managing, but owning several football clubs once he finally hangs up his boots. On the other hand, he might finally have more spare time to do things outside football and some of his hobbies like playing poker or online slots will probably be on the top of the list...
Cristiano Ronaldo - The Saudi prince
🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo: “Owning a football club makes more sense to me than becoming a manager”. pic.twitter.com/27lwrpT7b6
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 5, 2025
In recent interviews, Ronaldo made it clear that he sees little appeal in the dugout. The idea of coaching or becoming a sporting director doesn’t excite him. For him, ownership represents something bigger: the ability to shape the vision and direction of an entire institution.
It’s not hard to see why. For someone who has built a billion-dollar brand and invested heavily in hotels, gyms, fashion, and even film production, ownership allows him to merge passion with business. In many ways, it’s the natural continuation of his career.
Speculation has already started over which clubs Ronaldo might look at. Some reports have linked him with smaller, more affordable teams that could mirror the Hollywood story of Wrexham. Others imagine him aiming higher, perhaps returning to Europe to purchase a club with history but limited recent success.
His name was even floated in connection with Manchester United when the Glazer family weighed options for new investors — though that remains a fantasy more than a plan. Still, Ronaldo hasn’t been shy about setting lofty goals. He has spoken about not just owning a club, but multiple clubs, in different countries.
Here's a shortlist of 5 clubs Ronaldo could end up owning in the near future:
| CLUB | COUNTRY | LEAGUE |
|---|---|---|
| Valencia CF | Spain | La Liga |
| Al Nassr | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Pro League |
| Sporting CP | Portugal | Primeira Liga |
| Manchester United | England | Premier League |
| Al Hilal | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Pro League |
Buying into football is not as straightforward as opening a hotel or launching a movie studio. Ownership requires massive financial commitments, compliance with league rules, and the ability to deal with fan pressure and politics.
Even if Ronaldo invests, questions remain: will he act as a silent backer, or will he want hands-on involvement in transfers, coaches, and day-to-day decisions? The latter could be risky. Many great players — from Diego Maradona to Pelé — struggled when they moved into management or executive roles. Ronaldo is determined to avoid that trap, but the challenge will be real.
There’s also timing. His current contract with Al Nassr runs until 2027, and he’s still scoring at a rate most strikers envy. Ownership may have to wait until after his final professional matches.
At 40, Ronaldo is already a record-breaker with more than 850 official goals. But his ambition to own multiple clubs is about something bigger than numbers. It’s about influence and permanence.
Owning clubs would allow Ronaldo to leave a footprint on football that outlives his playing days. It would tie his name not only to goals and trophies, but also to building communities, shaping teams, and perhaps discovering the next Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on September 23, against Jeddah, for the King's Cup. You can watch Jeddah vs Al Nassr, Levante vs Real Madrid, Lincoln City vs Chelsea, Liverpool vs Southampton, Port Vale vs Arsenal and Tottenham vs Doncaster Rovers, all matches provided from our football streams game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Jeddah vs Al Nassr kick-off time (23-09-2025):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 02:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 23:30
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 19:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 16:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 12:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / wales.com / aljazeera.com
