Angel City FC is about to take another step toward fulfilling Alexis Ohanian’s prediction. The businessman and husband of tennis player Serena Williams predicted that the Los Angeles-based team would become the best team in the world and is about to receive a million-dollar investment that would lead it in that direction.
Angel City only joined the National Women’s Soccer League in 2022. Ohanian is the major shareholder in the team, founded by celebrities Natalie Portman, Kara Nortman, and Julie Uhrman.
The team had a rocky debut year, with just eight wins, five draws, and nine losses to accumulate 29 points. Although it did not qualify for the playoffs that year, in 2023, it achieved its first ticket to the postseason with 31 points from eight wins, seven draws, and seven losses.
Despite the rocky start, Ohanian always had a dream for Angel City, which is about to come true if the rumors about its future owners are true.
A million-dollar investment
For some months, reports have circulated that Angel City is looking for investors. According to specialized media, this search ended when Bob Iger, the billionaire CEO of Disney, and his wife, Willow Bay, were willing to acquire a major stake in the team.
Portman, Nortman, and Uhrman formally lead the team, but Ohanian is the majority stakeholder without having enough shares to be the controlling partner. However, the arrival of Iger and Bay could change that.
This seems to fit perfectly with Ohanian’s vision for the team: “You have to really believe from Day 1. The goal here is not to be the best club in NWSL. The goal is not to be the best women’s professional sports club. The goal is not to be the best football club, the goal is to be the best sports franchise in the world,” he stated.
The investment figures
Although the deal isn’t official yet, preliminary calculations indicate that Iger and Bay’s investment could raise the team’s pre-money value from $250 million to around $300 million.
The team has players of the stature of Scotland’s Claire Emslie, Ali Riley, Gisele Thompson, France’s Amandine Henry, and Casey Phair on its roster. Becki Tweed, as head coach, and Mark Wilson, as technical director, will lead the team next season.
