How Soccer Clubs Became the Latest Must-Have Celebrity Investment
What do Natalie Portman, LeBron James, and Guy Fieri have in common? While these three might not have much in common, they’re all part of the ownership of the soccer team. These are just a few people in a massive list of celebrities owning a soccer team as part of a group or entirely. Lebron is part of the group that owns Liverpool, while Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds recently bought a Welsh team, Wrexham AFC – playing in England’s fifth division. In the US, the pipeline for celebrities owning soccer teams is even more attractive. For instance, Liga MX’s Club Nexaca ownership group includes former NBA star Richard Hamilton, Kate Upton, and Eva Longoria. Longoria is also involved in the ownership of NWSL’s Angel City FC alongside the likes of USWNT’s great Abby Wambach and Natalie Portman. Other American soccer club owners include Will Ferrell who owns the Los Angeles Football Club in the MLS, Matthew McConaughey who owns Austin FC, and Drew Carey who owned Seattle Sounders before celebrities owning teams rose in popularity.Looking at American Soccer’s lower divisions, you’ll find more celebrity names in the owners’ list. Some have deep roots in the soccer world, like Tim Howard who is among the owners of the second-division USL Championship team, Memphis 901 FC, and Didier Drogba who owns Phoenix Rising FC. Drogba’s co-owners include Pete Wentz and Diplo, while Howard’s ownership group is also part of the owners of the English team, Dagenham & Redbridge FC playing in the same league as the aforementioned Wrexham. Fortunately, soccer betting enthusiasts at Betway can wager on all these teams during league and non-league games. Another celebrity-owned team that Betway members can wager on is Oakland Roots, which is now partly owned by Marshawn Lynch starting from April this year. The number of celebrities owning soccer teams also increases if you consider big names who are no longer part of running these teams. That includes Carmelo Anthony who got out of the game after Hurricane Maria destroyed the team where his team’s gameplay imploded. Elton John was also once a co-owner in several clubs like the defunct LA Aztecs and Watford, which he remains a major fan of because it was his childhood club. However, owning a soccer team or at least part of it isn’t the most stable investment you can make. But what is influencing these celebrities to invest millions of their money into the adventure, despite hiring several highly-paid financial advisors?There isn’t exactly a universal reason why these celebrities choose to do that, but those who dive into the industry help show why buying a soccer team might look like a logical expense at first look. According to OptiMine’s CEO Matt Vodda, soccer offers an affordable entry point for people looking to own teams, compared to other sports. For instance, larger leagues like the NBA, MLB, and NFL get record franchise valuations and the team prices are left for those incredibly rich. That explains why A-Rod failed to pull off a deal to own an NBA franchise alone.
