Luka Modrić has joined the ranks of top-tier soccer stars who have invested in clubs, turning this trend into a more frequent occurrence.
The realm of football club ownership is notoriously unstable; however, there are several prominent instances of well-known figures in the sport thriving by investing and managing these teams successfully.
These are 10 iconic athletes with ownership interests in teams.
Luka Modric
Modric has reached an agreement to join Swansea City’s ownership group in April 2025.
The 39-year-old’s investment in the Championship club will not impact his playing career, with the midfielder keen to continue playing for Real Madrid beyond this season.
Modrić boasts considerable familiarity with British football, having played 160 matches for Tottenham Hotspur prior to joining Real Madrid in 2013.
His upcoming appearance in South Wales will usher in a fresh chapter for the club as he becomes part of Swansea’s new ownership group.
In November, Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan's eight-year tenure in leadership concluded as they offloaded their controlling stake to Andy Coleman, along with co-owners Brett Cravatt and Nigel Morris, and entrepreneur Jason Cohen.
David Beckham
Even before Beckham retired from football following his last season with Paris Saint-Germain, rumors circulated in the press about his potential investment in an MLS team and his plans for a business venture after hanging up his cleats. The brand he built was far too substantial for him to confine himself to roles like sports commentary or coaching.
Following the establishment of Salford City alongside his fellow Class Of ‘92 alumni and Singaporean businessman Peter Lim, he went on to found an MLS team. Despite initial delays, Inter Miami CF is now thriving—boasting one of the most impressive collections of star players in contemporary MLS history.
It traces back to when he played for LA Galaxy.
It is said that he accepted a significant reduction in his wages from what he earned at Real Madrid. However, he has taken full advantage of a stipulated provision in his agreement that enabled him to acquire an expansion team for merely $25 million.
By 2025, Inter Miami's worth is projected to exceed $600 million.
Now he can see himself as the person who brought Lionel Messi to America, marking the nation's biggest signing since his own arrival... or tracing back even farther, to when Pele played for the New York Cosmos.
"It's simply the impact that Leo has on both the game and the world," Beckham said to Jimmy Kimmel.
One of the reasons we aimed to bring him to America was to motivate the upcoming generations. This was always part of my vision. Of course, I intended to welcome him both as an exceptional athlete and admirable individual. Having faced him multiple times myself—twice being particularly fortunate—I have long been his admirer and followed his career closely.
And my intention was always to add what I consider the best player ever to grace the sport, to our squad. Fortunately, it came to fruition.
Didier Drogba
You likely recall the final chapters of Drogba's illustrious career. His time playing in Turkey and China was bookended by his triumphant comeback at Chelsea, leading to an impressive stint with the Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.
However, if we were to quiz If you followed every team Senegal's star player was part of throughout his career, you might overlook his stint at Phoenix Rising. Following some time without a club, he joined the USL side based in Arizona and acquired a minor ownership interest in the team.
We've come across the concept of a player-manager, though it has become less common nowadays. However, the idea of a player-owner is much rarer, and from what we know, Drogba was the pioneer in this regard.
Before retiring in 2019 after scoring 17 goals in 26 matches for the team, Drogba concluded his playing career. Despite owning part of the club presently, they have not managed to secure entry into MLS so far.
N’Golo Kante
Following his departure from Chelsea during the previous summer, Kante surprised many in the soccer community by buying into and taking over as chairman of Belgian third-division side Royal Excelsior Virton.
The club stated, "It is clear that Flavio is immensely delighted about the opportunity to transfer the club’s key responsibilities to N'Golo Kante."
“[He is] a player of great class, not only for his footballing qualities but also and above all for his unanimously recognised human qualities.”
We have no objections. However, his choice to accept Saudi funding was somewhat disheartening.
Royal Excelsior Virton concluded their season at the 10th position in the Belgian National Division 1 during the 2023-24 campaign.
READ: 12 reasons why you can’t help but adore N'Golo Kanté
Paolo Maldini
Beckham isn't the sole European Cup champion investing in Florida's sunny real estate. Maldini preceded Beckham by establishing the USL team Miami FC as early as 2015.
"When I established Miami FC, Paolo assisted us in boosting the club's visibility, and he was instrumental in bringing Alessandro Nesta aboard as our very first head coach," said Miami FC owner Riccardo Silva. Transfermarkt .
In recent times, the renowned Italian defender has stepped away from his current role and refocused his efforts on AC Milan as their technical director.
"There were never any intentions to establish official connections between the two teams [Miami and Milan], despite both being passions of mine. However, I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility for the future," Silva added.
It seems less probable now since Maldini has stepped down from his position as Milan's technical director due to conflicts with the club's management board.
Ronaldo
O Fenomeno holds an 82% controlling share in the Spanish team Real Valladolid, which has been fluctuating between La Liga and the Segunda División over the past few seasons.
The footballer, who has won the World Cup twice, had an ownership interest in struggling Brazilian club Cruzeiro. However, he decided to sell his shareback in April due to the team’s ongoing administrative issues.
My response will be brief; Valladolid comes next," Ronaldo stated at the time. "After selling both Cruzeiro and Valladolid, I plan to take some time off.
Nevertheless, he has recently reversed his decision and declared his intent to remain the owner of Valladolid, apparently because there were no attractive offers forthcoming. As it was recently reported, he rejected a €28 million proposal from the construction company Inexo.
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Gerard Pique
Despite still being an active player for Barcelona, Pique was often touted as a potential future club president due to his entrepreneurial mindset and involvement in various sports ventures.
He is presently being investigated due to allegations regarding his possible role in illicit payments associated with moving Spain’s Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
He was also engaged in tennis; however, in January 2023, the International Tennis Federation opted to terminate its agreement with the former footballer’s firm responsible for organizing the Davis Cup after just under half a decade.
In addition to his E-Sports team, he also has the seven-a-side Kings League project, which joins YouTube personalities with former professionals.
Phew.
In terms of football – the real thing, not the kind watched on screens or promoted by influencers – he also owns a team in a lower division called FC Andorra. He acquired the club back in 2018.
In the previous season, they concluded at the 21st position in the Segunda División, which led to their demotion to Spain’s third division.
Should we doubt the achievements of this four-time Champions League champion... however, it appears that his business endeavors might not be faring as well.
Thierry Henry
"One of the objectives is to invest in the Como community and foster collaboration with locals through programs aimed at generating job opportunities," Henry stated to journalists during a press briefing in August 2022.
Como has an interesting past; it is renowned for the beauty of both the city and the lake. Hopefully, it won’t be long before it also gains recognition for its football.
Two years ahead, and Como have risen to become a Serie A club, with Henry’s former Arsenal teammate Cesc Fabregas both managing from the bench and holding a stake in the club. This certainly shows they are meeting their objectives.
The present coach of the France U21 team holds just a minor shareholding in the club, yet when it comes to rationalizing periods spent enjoying the stunning views around Lake Como, this serves as quite an appealing excuse.
Observing a diverse team that includes Pepe Reina, Alberto Moreno, Andrea Belotti, and Patrick Cutrone? Even more enjoyable.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Speculative articles from excitable tabloids suggested that Zlatan Ibrahimovic could potentially end his playing career in Sweden with Hammarby FC following his appointment as co-owner of the club in 2019.
After departing from LA Galaxy, he became a free agent. Indeed, he made an emotional comeback that same year... but this time it was with AC Milan at the San Siro, where he netted an additional 37 goals, claimed yet another Serie A title, and continued playing well into his forties.
Technically, joining Hammarby wouldn't have amounted to coming back home—something agitated supporters of his local team Malmö would quickly point out.
In response to the Hammarby news, they tried to set fire to his statue near their stadium. Ouch.
Hammerby came in second place in the Swedish Allsvenskan league standings last year... yet they were nine points behind the winners, Malmö. Wonder what Ibrahimovic thinks about that.
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe acquired 80% of the shares in Caen for less than €20 million during the summer of 2024.
One of several teams in French soccer, this Ligue 2 club is presently facing financial difficulties.
We've seen players like N'Golo Kanté, Thomas Lemar, and Raphael Guerreiro excel after their time at Caen, and it will be intriguing to witness how Kylian Mbappé can propel the team forward.
"Honestly, for an entire month, people were discussing this with me, yet I remained skeptical," ex-coach Patrice Garande stated. La Parisien .
This is remarkable news. Primarily because of the financial security it brings. Additionally, it enhances the club’s reputation significantly. Aligning oneself with the world’s top player undoubtedly serves as a major boost.
'We understand Mbappé's ambitions and his drive for success. If he joins our team, it won’t be a casual decision; it will definitely be with the intent to win and consequently create a squad that helps this club regain its place among Europe's top clubs.'
