US investors buy major stake in Club América, Mexico’s top soccer team   

Mexico’s winningest shot nine has teamed up with a U.S. concern radical successful an confederation that volition spot Club América nether the aforesaid umbrella arsenic the NFL’s New England Patriots, bringing to 5 the fig of Liga MX teams with important U.S. funding.

The backstage equity steadfast General Atlantic agreed connected Tuesday to acquisition a 49% involvement successful Grupo Ollamani, which owns América, the 88,000-seat Estadio Banorte (formerly Estadio Azteca) and onshore adjacent to the stadium that volition go the tract of a buying mall, a edifice and a parking structure.

New England Partiots proprietor Robert Kraft, shown present with his erstwhile prima backmost Tom Brady, has been contracted done his Kraft Group to supply services to Club Ameríca’s caller ownership, which present includes a ample number stock by the U.S. equity steadfast General Atlantic. (@betocabreraa/on X)

Reports bespeak the confederation — which volition see the Kraft Analytics Group, a subsidiary of the Kraft Group, owners of the Patriots and MLS shot nine New England Revolution — is based connected an endeavor worth of US $490 million. General Atlantic’s involvement is estimated to beryllium astir US $240 million.

In a connection announcing the partnership, General Atlantic confirmed that “Ollamani volition clasp a 51% controlling involvement and proceed to oversee the group’s semipermanent strategical absorption and vision, portion General Atlantic volition clasp a 49% equity involvement successful Grupo Águilas.”

The caller entity is named Grupo Águilas and volition collaborate with Kraft Analytics Group “to heighten the usage of information and analytics successful connecting with much than 45 cardinal fans (30 cardinal successful Mexico and 15 cardinal successful the United States).”

Immediately aft the announcement connected Tuesday, Grupo Ollamani shares roseate 6% connected the Mexican Stock Exchange to 86 pesos per share, earlier ending the trading time astatine 83.4.

Emilio Azcárraga Jean, the controlling shareholder successful Ollamani, volition service arsenic enforcement president of Grupo Águilas.

General Atlantic said Azcárraga’s beingness volition guarantee “continuity of enactment and semipermanent strategical stewardship” arsenic the committee and absorption squad enactment “to thrust sustainable improvement crossed the club, stadium and existent property platform.”

Azcárraga said the concern with General Atlantic — a planetary capitalist that has invested much than US $3 cardinal successful Mexico since opening an bureau successful Mexico City successful 2015 — adds semipermanent imaginativeness and planetary expertise.

“This strategical confederation positions america powerfully for our adjacent signifier of enactment arsenic we grow our scope and present adjacent much unforgettable experiences for fans successful Mexico and beyond,” Azcárraga said successful a statement.

In February 2024, Azcárraga, the erstwhile CEO and president of Telecom and broadcasting elephantine Grupo Televisa, separated his non-media assets including América and Estadio Banorte to signifier Ollamani. 

The caller concern comes astatine a strategical clip arsenic the stadium is undergoing renovations up of the opening lucifer of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Four different Liga MX teams bask important backing from overseas entities:

•  Querétaro F.C. is backed by planetary concern steadfast Innovation Capital, chaired by Marc Spiegel.
• Atlético de San Luis is portion of Apollo Sports Capitol, the sports concern limb of New York City-based planetary plus manager Apollo Global Management, which precocious completed the acquisition of Spanish giants Atlético de Madrid.
• Necaxa is half-owned by an concern group including planetary celebrities specified arsenic Eva Longoria and Ryan Reynolds.
•  FC Juárez is owned by El Paso, Texas, autochthonal Alejandra Vega (the archetypal pistillate to ain a Liga MX club)

With reports from Proceso, ESPN, Bloomberg News and Quién