Major League Soccer announced on Thursday that San Diego has won an expansion bid to become the league’s 30th team, kicking off play for the 2025 season.
That new expansion team will have a prominent name in San Diego sports as one of its owners.
Padres superstar infield Manny Machado will be part of the ownership group, along with Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
San Diego recently emerged as a favorite for the new expansion franchise, narrowly beating out Las Vegas.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the San Diego MLS ownership group,” said Machado in a press release, via ESPN. “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 originally joined the Padres before the 2019 season, signing a 10-year, $300 million contract. That contract, however, included an opt-out clause that put his future in the city in jeopardy until he signed another $300 million contract this offseason, making him the first baseball player to ever sign two $300 million deals.
He is now re-investing some of that wealth back into the sports culture of the city.
San Diego has had just one pro team since the NFL’s Chargers left the city after the 2016 season. The new team name and crest for the MLS team will be announced at a later date.
