Vinicius purchases Portuguese club in second division

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe made headlines last year after becoming the majority shareholder in French side Stade-Malherbe Caen, and now teammate Vinicius Junior has also decided to go into club ownership. The Brazilian has decided to purchase Portuguese side FC Alverca with a consortium.

It is not clear how much the deal was worth, who Vinicius’ partners are, or how much of the money the Brazilian put up, but Diario AS confirm a story from Record that he is part of the group that will become the majority owners. Alverca have announced that previous owner Ricardo Vicintin has sold his controlling stake to a consortium of Spanish and Brazilian investors, more of which will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Não há nada mais bonito do que isto #FCACSM #VoaAlverca pic.twitter.com/Gy7V9dEEDt

— FC Alverca (@FCAlverca) February 16, 2025

Alverca are currently on the edge of glory, sitting second and in a promotion spot to go up to Liga NOS, just two points behind league leaders Tondela, and with a one-point advantage over Penafiel in the play-off spot below.

Founded in 1939, they spent time in the Primeira Liga in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but a financial crisis and debts of €5m in 2005 forced them into administration, from which they have since made their way back. Last season they earned promotion back to the second tier.

Alverca are located in Alverca do Ribatejo, further up the Tajo estuary from Lisbon, and former players include the likes of Deco, Maniche and Ricardo Carvalho, while Jesualdo Ferreira was at one point their manager. It is unclear how involved Vinicius will be, but certainly it seems to be a growing trend for players to invest in more modest clubs. Vinicius is managed by US agency Roc Nation, and it is certainly a trend for major NBA and NFL stars to become minority shareholders in brand name franchises. If Vinicius were to move to Saudi Arabia, he may well have the money to purchase a major La Liga club.