September 17 – City Football Group (CFG) has added US investor Marcelo Claure to its New York City FC ownership group with a 10% stake in City Football Group US Holdco LLC.
The holding company owns both the MLS club and the new stadium planned for completion in 2027 at Willets Point, Queens.
It values the company at about $1.5 billion with Claure, who becomes co-vice chairman of NYCFC, spending $150 million to buy his position.
The new ownership restructure will see founding shareholders CFG hold 80% of the club while Yankee Global Enterprises will have 10%.
Claure (pictured left) is no stranger to football investing or to CFG.
Claure was a co-founder of MLS club Inter Miami CF before exiting. In 2020 Claure became an investor in another CFG club, Spain’s Girona FC. In 2021 Club Bolívar, Bolivia’s biggest club where Claure is president, became a CFG Partner Club.
“We have had the pleasure of working with Marcelo closely across various City Football Group projects, and this investment continues to strengthen his commitment to the Group,” said Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of City Football Group and New York City FC.
“Marcelo has an incredible passion for soccer, for MLS, and for the growth of the sport in the United States. He shares our vision for the development of the game, and this partnership will be invaluable as we embark on this exciting new chapter for New York City FC, building toward playing in our own stadium in 2027.”
The new stadium will likely be a financial turning point for the club. 100% privately financed, with a 25,000 capacity, it will be the first fully electric sports stadium in New York City and the MLS.
“I am thrilled to join New York City FC at such an exciting time for soccer in the U.S. With the Club World Cup in 2025 and the World Cup in 2026 on the horizon, I believe MLS has unmatched potential. Partnering with City Football Group and the Yankees, two of the most respected sports organizations in the world, is an incredible opportunity.”
Having founded Brightstar, and growing it into the world’s largest global wireless distribution and services company, in 2014 he sold out to SoftBank Group and became the CEO of telecoms giant Sprint, one of the world’s leading telecommunications companies. He led Sprint’s turnaround and the $195 billion merger between Sprint and T-Mobile before being promoted to CEO of SoftBank Group International and overseeing a portfolio estimated at $450 billion.
He then founded the Claure Group which is focussed on investing proprietary capital across AI and technology, climate and energy transition, lifestyle and entertainment, and sports.
“Marcelo Claure is a visionary with a deep passion for soccer, and his addition to the ownership group at New York City FC will help the club continue to grow and strengthen its impact both on and off the field,” said Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber (pictured second left).
“With the city’s first soccer stadium set to open following the 2026 World Cup, we are pleased to welcome Marcelo back to the MLS Board of Governors as an investor in New York City FC during this exciting time for the club.”
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