Cristiano Ronaldo joins consortium preparing bid to buy Al-Nassr
Five investors — including Ronaldo and RedBird’s Gerry Cardinale — plan at least $100m each; PIF expected to decide within 48 hours.
A consortium that includes Cristiano Ronaldo and investor Gerry Cardinale is preparing a formal offer to buy Saudi club Al-Nassr from the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The group is said to be led by Cardinale, who heads RedBird Capital Partners, and includes businessmen Ibrahim Al-Muhaidib, Mohamed Al-Kuraiji and Sharaf Al-Hariri alongside Ronaldo. If completed, the deal would turn Ronaldo into a co-owner of the club for which he currently plays.
Financial structure and planned contributions
According to the presented plan, each of the five consortium members would commit at least $100 million (about €92 million). That capital would provide a significant boost to Al-Nassr’s operating structure and long-term plans.
Negotiations have reportedly entered a final phase. Representatives of RedBird Capital and the other investors are expected to meet PIF leadership within the next 48 hours to decide whether the sovereign fund will accept the bid and transfer control of the club, or halt talks. The outcome could affect transfer markets and ownership trends across global football.
Ronaldo, 41, joined Al-Nassr in early 2023. Since then he has scored 126 goals and provided 24 assists in 148 appearances. The forward is currently reported to be on a $200 million annual contract with the club.
If the transaction proceeds, Ronaldo would move from being the team’s marquee player to also holding an ownership stake — an uncommon arrangement for an active player at a top professional club.
Photo: press material from the event
