Oscar Winner Michael B Jordan & 7 More Celebrities Who Own Football Clubs
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2 months ago
A whole host of unexpected stars have links with the game
An unassuming Welsh National League football club, Wrexham FC, came into the spotlight in a big way a few years ago after being bought by two Hollywood stars: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The pair documented their journey in docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, which pans out like a real-life Ted Lasso – from why they picked Wrexham in the first place to their efforts to transform the club.
But it turns out Reynolds and McElhenney aren’t the only celebrities investing in football clubs. Stormzy, for instance, recently became joint owner of AFC Croydon, joining a league of other A-list names with ties to the sport. Read on to discover which football clubs have surprising famous faces at the helm.
WELCOME TO WREXHAM – Pictured: The Racecourse Ground. CR: Patrick McElhenney/FX.
Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney: Wrexham AFC
You might know Reynolds for his movies (whether that’s The Proposal or Deadpool), but the Hollywood star has many other strings to his bow. He has invested in everything from gin to dating apps over the years – and in November 2020, Reynolds bought Wrexham FC alongside McElhenney. Since then, the duo have heralded a new chapter for the club: in April 2023, Wrexham won promotion to the Football League after 15 seasons of playing in the semi-amateur National League. ‘This is the third-oldest club on the planet and we don’t see why it can’t have a global appeal,’ said Reynolds. ‘We want Wrexham to be a global force.’
Michael B. Jordan poses backstage with the Oscar® for Actor in a Leading Role during the 98th Oscars® at Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Michael B Jordan: AFC Bournemouth
Though he is often mixed up with the legendary basketball player Michael Jordan, and though he may have just bagged his first Oscar (for Best Actor, no less), Michael B Jordan is a busy man off-screen and in the sports sphere, too. Alongside Reynolds and McElhenney, Jordan is an investor in F1 team Alpine Racing, as well as a football club of his own. In 2022, it was revealed Bournemouth AFC would be taken over by Black Knight Football Club, led by American businessman Bill Foley alongside Kosmos founder Nullah Sarker and Jordan himself. Under Black Knight’s reign, new manager Andoni Iraola was appointed, seeing Bournemouth through their best-ever points tally in the Premier League.
KSI: Dagenham & Redbridge FC
At the start of March, popular YouTuber (and now Britain’s Got Talent judge) KSI snapped up a minority stake in sixth tier club Dagenham & Redbridge FC, claiming he wanted to take the team to the Premier League. Big words, but after the success of Wrexham, it’s clear money plays a crucial role in modern football. ‘I’m so excited to start this journey. It’s gonna be a rollercoaster for sure but I hope to bring Dagenham and Redbridge back to the glory days,’ the internet star said in the announcement. ‘And once we reach that point, I want to go even further. Reaching the Premier League would be a dream. And I believe it is 100 percent doable. It will take a long time, so to the Daggers fans, please be patient. I want you to know that I am fully committed to making sure Dagenham and Redbridge is a team that everyone will know worldwide, and will be an exciting team to watch and support.’
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Stormzy & Wilfried Zaha: Croydon FC
Multi-award winning rapper Stormzy is one of the more recent celebrities to own a football club, buying AFC Croydon alongside Ivorian player Wilfried Zaha (who made his name at Crystal Palace). Both of them grew up in south London, which played a part in their decision, and the pair joined forces with Danny Young, former Crystal Palace head of player care, Danny Young, on the purchase. A statement from the club confirmed the three-part consortium will ‘own, operate and develop their childhood hometown football club’, adding: ‘whilst completion is subject to legislative and governance procedures, the three consortium members are excited about developing a community asset in the borough that gave them their own opportunities.’
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David Beckham: Inter Miami
He may have retired from football a decade ago, but David Beckham is still involved in the beautiful game in other ways – including by co-owning Inter Miami in America. The seeds for this were sown many years back in 2007, when the former England captain shocked the football world by making a move to the US, joining LA Galaxy. There were rumours that his contract included an option to buy an ‘expansion franchise’ when his playing days were over – which he confirmed in 2009, telling the BBC: ‘I have the right to own an MLS franchise, which I will action immediately after I have stopped playing.’ As a result of this, Inter Miami was founded in 2018 and, in 2021, it was announced that Beckham had bought stakes of ownership in the club, alongside the Mas brothers Jose and Jorge. It’s believed that Beckham played a big part in getting Lionel Messi to join the club this summer.
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The Class Of ’92: Salford City
Speaking of former players, Salford City is another special example: it was owned by a collective of players who all achieved great success in the game in their heyday. Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt joined forces to purchase the Ammies in 2014 with backing from Peter Lim. And their investment spelled success for the Greater Manchester team, who shot up the charts to League Two. In 2025, David Beckham and Gary Neville bought out the rest of the Class of ’92, making this the second team Becks co-owns.
Delia Smith: Norwich City
Delia Smith is one of the most famous TV chefs of our time – but did you know she is a share-holder in Norwich City FC? She purchased shares in the club alongside her husband Michael Wynn-Jones back in 1996, and the pair have remained a part of the club ever since, supporting the team through three Championship titles, seven seasons in the Premier League, financial crises and much more. In 2025, Mark Attanasio’s FB Norkfolk Holdings Group succeeded the duo, becoming majority shareholder with an 85 percent stake and leaving Delia and Michael with 10 percent between them.
Elton John: Watford FC
An honourary mention: he might be one of the most famous musicians in the world, but music isn’t Sir Elton John’s only passion. The 78-year-old is also a die-hard football fan with a long-standing connection to his home football club, Watford FC. John bought the club in 1976, overseeing its rise through four divisions to the top of the league. Although he sold his stake in the ’90s and stepped down as Chairman in 2002, the global superstar remains the club’s Honorary Life-President, and is as big a supporter as ever today. John has performed there a number of times over the years, including a particularly memorable performance in 1974 when he dressed up as a black and yellow hornet in honour of the team’s nickname.
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Why Do Celebrities Buy Football Clubs?
While football clubs often noticeably benefit after being taken over by a big name celeb – who can bring with them new fans and viral social media moments – there’s not quite so much in it for the celebrities themselves. In fact, many British football clubs carry large debts, so snapping up a local football team is best seen as a passion project than an advisable investment.
‘History tells us most investors in football clubs don’t tend to make money and some English clubs are carrying huge losses,’ Dan Plumley, principal lecturer in sport finance at Sheffield Hallam University, tells BBC Sport. ‘It’s more of a passion project thing for a lot of the celebrity investors, who have already made their money in their careers, with potential big returns only if their grand plans for the club come off.’
And this isn’t just a British trend: actor Will Ferrell has a stake in Los Angeles FC, Matthew McConaughey is a minority owner of Austin FC, and musician Drake has shares in Italian club Venezia FC. But ‘English football is uniquely placed because of the amount of clubs there are,’ Plumley explains. ‘The financial gap is huge between the leagues so it’s a massive job to rise up from where Dagenham are [in KSI’s case] – and then to keep going beyond that towards the Premier League would cost hundreds of millions of pounds.
‘For a celebrity to see a return on their investment will take a lot of time and needs proper sporting success too,’ Plumley adds. ‘If that doesn’t happen, and happen quickly, then interest can really wane.’
