Saudi Prince and Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos Group Buys Inter de Limeira
BRAZIL · FOOTBALL BUSINESS
Saturday, May 30, 2026 — 03:00 BRT — By Oliver Mason
—The buyers: Saudi prince Abdullah bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, with former Brazil internationals Ronaldo Nazario and Roberto Carlos, plus businessman Enrico Ambrogini.
—The target: Inter de Limeira, founded 1913 and currently competing in Brazil’s third-tier Serie C, sitting ninth with 12 points.
—The vehicle: The deal turns Inter de Limeira into a Sociedade Anonima do Futebol, the Brazilian corporate football model first used by clubs such as Botafogo, Cruzeiro and Bahia.
—The status: The Conselho Deliberativo signed a non-binding memorandum, the final vote is pending, and a 2026 close is expected if the timeline holds.
—Latin American impact: The deal is the first publicly known Saudi royal investment in a Brazilian football club ownership structure.
Saudi prince Abdullah bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has confirmed plans to acquire Inter de Limeira alongside former Brazil World Cup winners Ronaldo Nazario and Roberto Carlos. The deal turns the small Sao Paulo state club, founded in 1913, into a Sociedade Anonima do Futebol, the corporate football model that is reshaping Brazilian club ownership. It is the first publicly known Saudi royal acquisition of a Brazilian club.
How the Inter de Limeira deal came together
The prince announced the investment on his X account on Monday, May 25, calling it his first experience as an investor in sports clubs and naming Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos as partners. He is a member of the Saudi royal family and an honorary board member of Al-Hilal, one of Asia’s strongest football institutions.
The transaction is led from the Brazilian side by businessman Enrico Ambrogini, who has been negotiating with the club’s Conselho Deliberativo since March. Ronaldo formally presented a proposal to the council on March 31 to take over the management of the new SAF, with Roberto Carlos and the prince joining as financial partners in subsequent weeks.
CNN Brasil reported on Monday that the operation is in an advanced phase and provides for financial contributions from the Saudi group, the former players and Ambrogini. Specific stakes and the prince’s share have not been disclosed publicly.
The Inter de Limeira club and its place in Brazilian football
Inter de Limeira is a modest club from the interior of Sao Paulo state. Founded in 1913, it is best known for winning the 1986 Campeonato Paulista, the state championship that historically rivals the national league for prestige inside Sao Paulo.
The club currently competes in Brazil’s third tier, the Serie C, and sits in ninth place with 12 points in the early season. It plays at the Major Jose Levy Sobrinho stadium with a capacity of around 18,000.
The buyers’ plan is to use the SAF structure to restore Limeira to higher tiers within several seasons. The model has worked for other Sao Paulo state clubs, with Bahia owned by the City Football Group and Botafogo controlled by John Textor.
The Inter de Limeira deal and the SAF model
The Sociedade Anonima do Futebol is a Brazilian legal structure that allows a club’s football operations to be separated from the social association and run as a corporation. Created by federal law in 2021, it has unlocked the foreign and private capital that had historically been blocked by the not-for-profit model.
More than a dozen Brazilian clubs have converted to the SAF model since 2022, including Cruzeiro, Botafogo, Bahia, Vasco da Gama, and Atletico Mineiro. The Inter de Limeira board reformulated the club’s statutes in advance of the negotiations to allow a future SAF conversion, and a dedicated SAF commission was set up to analyse the proposal.
The deal is non-binding for now. The club has emphasised caution and stressed that the final approval has not yet been granted by the wider council membership.
Why a Saudi prince in the Inter de Limeira deal matters
Saudi investment in football has been concentrated in the Saudi Pro League since 2023, with the Saudi Public Investment Fund taking controlling stakes in Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal. A Saudi royal investment in a Brazilian club is a different vehicle, structurally smaller but symbolically significant.
Brazilian football has historically attracted European, American, and Qatari capital. The arrival of a Saudi royal investor extends the geography of the new SAF ownership map, and other Saudi family-office vehicles are reportedly evaluating similar bets.
The reputational element runs in both directions. The prince gains an entry into the most prestigious football market in the Americas, while Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos lend the deal Brazilian credibility that pure foreign capital could not match.
What comes next for the Inter de Limeira deal
The next milestone is the Conselho Deliberativo’s vote on the final SAF agreement. The club has retained a specialised consulting firm and the SAF commission is reviewing the proposal alongside legal advisers from both sides.
Ronaldo Nazario already controls Cruzeiro through his investment vehicle, although that arrangement has come under recent governance scrutiny. Roberto Carlos has no prior SAF stake. Ambrogini is the operating manager who knit the consortium together and would assume the day-to-day responsibility.
If the timeline holds, the SAF should be operational by the end of 2026, with a first restructuring window opening alongside the Brazilian Serie C calendar. The buyers’ initial plan calls for financial reorganisation, ground upgrades, and a strengthened first-team squad.
Who is the Saudi prince in the Inter de Limeira deal?
Abdullah bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family, investor and honorary board member of Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal. The Limeira investment is his first publicly disclosed move in sports.
What is a Sociedade Anonima do Futebol?
A 2021 Brazilian legal structure that turns a club’s football operations into a separate corporate entity, enabling private and foreign capital to take stakes. More than a dozen Brazilian clubs have already converted.
Where does Inter de Limeira play?
At the Major Jose Levy Sobrinho stadium in Limeira, a city of about 300,000 in the interior of Sao Paulo state. The ground holds roughly 18,000 spectators.
Is the deal closed?
No. The Conselho Deliberativo has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding, but the final vote on the SAF conversion has not yet taken place. The club expects the close in 2026.
Why is this significant beyond Limeira?
It is the first known Saudi royal investment in a Brazilian football club and could open the door for further Saudi family-office capital in the South American market.
For more on Brazilian football governance, read our piece on the Corinthians member-roll expulsion of Andres Sanchez. For the broader continental picture, see our coverage of the Libertadores 2026 round of 16 draw.
The Rio Times — Saturday, May 30, 2026 — 03:00 BRT — By Oliver Mason
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