The superstars of world football are trying to make a transition to a different role. They look initiating for the ownerships or co-ownerships of clubs and the names are coming up in numbers. Luka Modric became the latest high-profile footballer to signal his interest in swapping the dressing room for the boardroom.
On Monday, it was announced the Real Madrid midfielder was “investor and co-owner” with a minority stake in Championship side Swansea City.
Christiano Ronaldo should be the most prominent among them who already expressed a desire to become a club owner, any news of his investment to ay club for the ownership has not yet come out. But well-known footballers are there who already moved a step further by investing in football clubs before retirement. All the names are heavyweight!
Kylian Mbappe who invested in SM Caen, and Sadio Mane are on the way to becoming a co-owner of Bourges Foot 18. Juan Mata has put in money for San Diego FC. Wilfried Zaha’s news of investment to AFC Croydon) is already on the air. Cesar Azpilicueta and Hector Bellerin have made investments in Hashtag United and Forest Green, respectively.
Three more big names are also there in the list of footballers turning football club owners.
In July 2024, Mbappe completed the takeover of Ligue 2 side Caen, investing £12.6m in a majority stake. His first season in club ownership is likely to end with relegation for the French team.
Spain’s all-time top goalscorer David Villa was a co-founder of Queensboro FC. Since the club was announced in November 2019, they are yet to make their debut in the USL Championship, the second tier of football in the United States.
Eden Hazard was announced as the co-owner– along with former Chelsea team-mate Demba Ba – of San Diego 1904, who was set to play in the North American Soccer League (NASL). The league collapsed before the club could play their first game.
Meanwhile, the ‘Class of 92’ led by Gary Neville are aiming to take Salford City to the Championship by 2029.
