SAN DIEGO, CA — Manny On The Pitch! The Padres superstar Manny Machado, a recipient of the 2022 National League LatinoMVP Award, recently became a minority owner in San Diego’s new Major League Soccer expansion team, and took part in the formal announcement this past Thursday May 18th at Snapdragon Stadium.
.@Padres star Manny Machado will be a minority owner of San Diego's @MLS franchise ⚽
The ownership group led by Mohamed Mansour will pay an expansion fee of $500M, the most ever paid for an MLS team.
(via @Clutch__Chris)pic.twitter.com/ZJS7ZeKmGk
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) May 18, 2023
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the San Diego MLS ownership group. I continue to plant roots in this amazing community that means so much to me and build upon my connection with the incredible fans,” Machado, the reigning NL LatinoMVP and six-time All-Star, said in a press release.
San Diego’s new club plans to begin MLS play in 2025 with home games played at Snapdragon Stadium — an outdoor sports venue located in San Diego, California, that opened last year and cost $310 million.
.@BenHigginsSD spoke with Manny Machado about why he wanted to get involved with San Diego's new MLS team: pic.twitter.com/G2KsNdChvJ
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) May 18, 2023
On another note, provided below is a list of well-known athletes, who have invested in MLS clubs, according to an article posted on Yahoo Sports by Eben Novy-Williams.
NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes (Sporting KC), two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant (Philadelphia Union), two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (Nashville FC) and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson (Seattle Sounders). James Harden (Houston Dynamo), Ken Griffey Jr. (Seattle Sounders), Steve Nash (Vancouver Whitecaps), Dwyane Wade (Real Salt Lake), Mark Ingram (D.C. United), Derrick Henry (Nashville) and Filip Forsberg (Nashville) have also bought small stakes in teams.
To learn more on the new MLS expansion team in San Diego and Machado, read these two articles provided below:
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