A group led by Juan Beckmann Vidal, the billionaire heir to the Jose Cuervo tequila fortune, is finalizing a major stake acquisition in Los Angeles Football Club at a $1.25 billion enterprise valuation, according to a regulatory filing reviewed Tuesday. The transaction, structured as a minority stake sale with pathway provisions, positions Beckmann alongside an unnamed Los Angeles-based investor as the club's newest principal owners.
LAFC majority owner Larry Berg and his 22-person ownership consortium purchased the expansion franchise for $30 million in 2014 and paid a $110 million expansion fee two years later. The $1.25 billion valuation represents an 800% return in eight years and makes LAFC the second-most-valuable MLS franchise behind Atlanta United, which Sportico valued at $1.05 billion in its January rankings. The club's on-field success—two Supporters' Shields, one MLS Cup, one Concacaf Champions Cup since its 2018 launch—converted brand momentum into sponsorship muscle. Naming partner BMO Harris Bank extended its deal through 2033 at terms north of $10 million annually, while YouTube TV came aboard as jersey front sponsor in a deal estimated at $6 million per year.
Beckmann's entry carries three implications for the North American sports ownership market. First, it validates MLS commissioner Don Garber's decade-long pitch that soccer franchises would track tech startup economics rather than legacy sports asset curves. Second, it opens a new liquidity window for the 16 expansion-era ownership groups who paid fees between $100 million and $500 million since 2017 and now face capital calls for stadium renovations, academy construction, and the league's $2.5 billion Apple TV deal revenue share. Third, it brings a consumer packaged goods billionaire with Formula 1 paddock credibility—Beckmann's family office previously explored minority stakes in Williams Racing and has sponsored McLaren hospitality—into a league chasing $500 million annual media rights when the Apple deal expires in 2032.
The timing aligns with LAFC's $350 million BMO Stadium expansion plan, filed with Los Angeles city planning in November. The club wants to add 7,500 seats, 18 suites, and a south-end supporters' section by opening day 2026, when the venue co-hosts World Cup matches. Construction financing requires either debt against future ticket revenue or fresh equity at a step-up valuation. Beckmann's capital solves the second path while preserving Berg's control stake, estimated at 31% after this transaction.
What to watch: MLS board of governors approval, expected by March. LAFC's head coach search after Steve Cherundolo's January departure to Bundesliga side Hannover 96. Beckmann family office meetings with Relevent Sports executives, who control U.S. commercial rights to Liga MX and previously pitched LAFC on a Leagues Cup expansion partnership. YouTube TV's jersey renewal window opens in 14 months; the streaming service paid $2 billion for NFL Sunday Ticket and now reviews all sports inventory against subscriber acquisition cost.
Berg and his co-founders, including entertainment executive Bennett Rosenthal and former Dodgers executive Stan Kasten, retain majority control and all board seats. Beckmann's nephew, who runs the family's real estate arm in Puerto Vallarta, toured BMO Stadium in late December wearing a Cuervo-branded track jacket and sat three rows behind the ownership box during the club's final home match.
The takeaway
**$1.25B** LAFC valuation gives MLS expansion groups their first **800%** comp and opens capital window before 2026 World Cup.
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