Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both begun shifting part of their business activity into club ownership, but they are doing it in markedly different ways. Messi accelerated that process during 2026 with moves involving UE Cornellà and CD Eldense, while Ronaldo acquired a 25% stake in UD Almería in February, a transaction announced by his investment company, CR7 Sports Investments, which did not disclose the financial details.
The most recent of Messi’s deals is Eldense. The agreement announced in September contemplates the acquisition of 100% of the Alicante club, which competes in the Segunda División. Forbes describes the deal as Messi’s second investment in a Spanish club after the purchase of Cornellà, although other reports indicate that the transaction still requires official authorizations before it can be completed. The next step in that process will be especially relevant in determining when Messi’s entry into the Alicante club can be considered formally closed.
His first Spanish investment came in April, when he acquired 85.05% of UE Cornellà, a Catalan club playing in the Tercera Federación. Cornellà has a well-recognised development structure in Catalonia, and its youth ranks have included footballers who later reached the professional game. After the deal became public, Messi sent a message to the squad: “I wanted to introduce myself to you and greet you. You know that we are here to grow and help in any way needed.”
Messi’s portfolio also extends beyond Spain. He holds a minority stake in Deportivo LSM, a Uruguayan club linked to Luis Suárez, while Leones de Rosario, founded in 2015, has Matías Messi as president. The AFA officially includes Leones de Rosario among its affiliated clubs and lists the footballer’s brother as president of the entity. Inter Miami is a different case: Messi is not listed among the owners Forbes currently identifies as controlling shareholders of the franchise, which is led by Jorge Mas, José Mas and David Beckham. What is documented is that his contract includes an option to acquire a stake in the club once his playing career is over. The exact percentage has not been publicly confirmed, so the 30% figure that has appeared in some publications should not be presented as fact.
Ronaldo’s confirmed move came in February, when he took a 25% stake in Almería, a club in Spain’s second division. CR7 Sports Investments announced the transaction without disclosing its financial terms. Ronaldo explained at the time that the investment reflected his intention to participate long term in club ownership and to contribute to the next stage of the Almería project. He also maintains a shareholding relationship with Al-Nassr, the club where he continues to play in Saudi Arabia, although the exact terms of that investment are not publicly detailed in all sources. A reported new offer from a consortium to acquire Al-Nassr from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund does not carry, in the sources consulted, the same level of confirmation as the purchase of 25% of Almería, and should therefore be treated as a negotiation or a version pending confirmation rather than as a new Ronaldo ownership.
The two strategies remain in development. Messi has concentrated his known investments in lower-tier clubs, particularly in Spain and with attention to development structures, while Ronaldo has taken a stake in the ownership of a Segunda División side. For now, the main difference lies in the degree of confirmed ownership: Messi has stakes or control in projects in Argentina, Uruguay and Spain, while Ronaldo’s officially announced investment in 2026 is the 25% of Almería.