Cristiano Ronaldo watched from a distance, but his new club took a giant stride towards where he believes they belong.
UD Almeria brushed aside Cultural Leonesa 3-0 on Monday night, a result that not only underlined their momentum but hauled them back into the automatic promotion places in Spain’s second tier. It was their fifth win in six league outings, the kind of run that turns hopeful talk of LaLiga into something far more concrete.
For Ronaldo, now a 25% owner of the Andalusian side, it was the sort of performance that justifies an early investment. Recovering from a hamstring injury in Madrid and still captaining Al Nassr when fit, the 41-year-old was quick to celebrate from afar. “Great win today. We continue,” he posted on Instagram – a short message, but one that captured the sense of a project gathering speed.
Almeria’s climb back into second place carries extra weight when you consider how long they’ve been chasing it. Not since November had they occupied an automatic promotion spot. Since then, the table has been a grind, the margins tight, and the pressure constant on a club still rebuilding after relegation from LaLiga in April 2024 and a Saudi-led takeover in May 2025.
Now, with 29 games played, they sit four points behind leaders Racing Santander and, crucially, in control of their own fate.
In the home dressing room, there was no mistaking the satisfaction, but coach Juan Francesc Ferrer ‘Rubi’ made sure it didn’t turn into complacency.
“This is where we all want to be,” he said after the match, “but the important thing is to be there by matchday 42.”
It was a reminder that promotion campaigns are marathons disguised as sprints. “We have to keep our feet on the ground because there are 39 points left to play for. The squad is ready. We've brought in young players, but also veterans, who have arrived with the enthusiasm of a child. Some of them know this could be their first major achievement in their sporting careers.”
That mix is starting to look like Almeria’s secret weapon. The youngsters bring energy and fearlessness; the older heads understand what it means to close out a season when the stakes rise and legs get heavy. Together, they’ve turned the club from a relegated side in transition into one of the division’s form teams.
Rubi’s point about “matchday 42” will resonate in a league where late-season collapses are almost a tradition. Automatic promotion is not won in March, and Almeria know that better than most after recent years of turbulence. But this version of the team looks more balanced, more mature, and – crucially – more resilient.
As for Ronaldo, his role for now is part-cheerleader, part-symbol. His presence in the ownership group brings global attention and a certain ruthlessness associated with his playing career. He is used to operating at the very top; the message, implicit rather than shouted, is that he expects Almeria to get there too.
From Madrid, he will continue his recovery and watch the run-in unfold. In Andalusia, his players have given him a reason to believe that his first major success as a club owner might arrive sooner than many expected. The scoreboard read 3-0 on Monday, but the more important number for Almeria is two – second place, and a direct route back to LaLiga now firmly in their sights.
