Football is about the team and the fans, and if you ask Manchester United, it’s a little about the coach. Sometimes, however, the owner of the team is so famous that you can hardly ignore them. This is always the case when a celebrity acquires a team and catapults it into the limelight. Below, we look at 5 times when that happened and the most famous people to own a soccer team in 2024:
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (Wrexham AFC)
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney made history in 2021 when they acquired Wrexham AFC for $2.5 million. The oldest football club in Wales, Wrexham AFC, was struggling performance-wise before the two took over. Since then, it has won the National League title and been promoted to EFL League One, the second-highest tier of English football. It has also gained a whole new cache of global fans thanks to its owners’ star powers. If their performance holds, Wrexham AFC might make it to the Premier League, where they’d compete against Betway sponsored teams Brighton and West Ham for glory. Meanwhile, a documentary series about the team’s rise to glory was released in 2022 called Welcome to Wrexham. Currently in its fourth season, it’s won 8 Primetime Emmy Awards and 2 Critics’ Choice TV Awards.
Michael B. Jordan (AFC Bournemouth)
Erik Killmonger himself acquired an ownership share of Premier League club AFC Bournemouth in December 2022, making him part owner. The face of Creed and all-round superstar has been very active in the club’s management ever since. He attended his first match later in November and has been working with American businessman Bill Foley, head of the ownership group that acquired a stake in Bournemouth, to improve the team’s EPL rankings. In the 2023-24 season, Bournemouth achieved their best EPL tally, ending the season at a remarkable 48 points.
Bob Iger and Willow Bay (Angel City FC)
Until recently, Natalie Portman was part owner of the first women’s professional football team in LA since LA Sol’s closure in 2010. In July 2024, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, acquired the majority shareholding stake in the club for $50 million. Natalie, alongside other notable names such as Gillian Berry, Alexis Ohanian, and Julie Uhrman, will remain on Angel City’s board.
Kate Upton, Mesut Ozil, Eva Longoria (Necaxa)
If all the other teams on this list have one celebrity owner, Necaxa has several. The Mexican club enjoys 50 percent stewardship from several stars, including Kate Upton, Mesut Ozil, and Eva Longoria. Part of the Tylis-Porter consortium, this group of high-profile celebrities and former footballers own 50 percent of the club, now valued at over $200 million.
Wrapping up
Football is not struggling for fans. But with so many active leagues, teams, and players within those leagues, a little popularity boots never hurts. This is what these and other star club owners do for the clubs they buy or sponsor. When Brighton players run up to the field with jerseys featuring the Betway brand, they attract more than their fans. They attract the millions of online sports bettors who love the bookmaker, too. That’s the power of star sponsorship.