RIYADH, 5 March 2026 – Baker Botts LLP advised Saudi Media Company, through its subsidiary, on the sale of a minority stake in Spanish football club UD Almería to CR7 Sports Investments LDA, the investment vehicle of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The transaction was spearheaded by partner Joza Al Rasheed, who guided Saudi Media Company through this landmark investment that involved complex cross-border structuring and corporate considerations at the intersection of media, sports, and corporate finance.

The deal is a high-profile cross-border investment in European football and signals the growing impact of Middle Eastern capital in global sports, part of a broader wave of prominent international investors entering European clubs and expanding the reach of sports assets worldwide.

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