USWNT vs. Spain was an overwhelming example of Michele Kang’s influence on women’s soccer
· Yahoo Sports
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On the field, the U.S. women’s national team’s match against Spain at Audi Field on Saturday was one between the top two FIFA-ranked teams. World No. 1 Spain stunned the hosts 2-0 with goals from Patricia Guijarro and Eva Navarro, underlining Spain’s jump from underdogs to world champions.
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But just beyond the white line in a field-level suite, the game offered a glimpse into Michele Kang’s growing influence as one of the most powerful investors in women’s soccer.
Five players in the starting lineups had ties to Kang’s expanding soccer empire, which stretches across the United States, England and France.
On the Spanish side were Alexia Putellas and Lucía Corrales of London City Lionesses, alongside OL Lyonnes forward Salma Paralluelo. The U.S. side featured OL Lyonnes midfielder Lily Yohannes and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman. Lindsey Heaps used to run Lyon’s midfield before moving to Denver Summit earlier this year, and Spirit center back Tara Rudd added to the count from the bench.
It is a remarkable concentration of talent under the umbrella of a single investor, particularly in a match featuring the world’s top two national teams. And while the players Saturday represented their countries rather than their clubs, the encounter underscored how Kang’s investments have reshaped the landscape of elite women’s soccer.
Kang started building her soccer empire in 2022, when she acquired a controlling stake in the Spirit in a deal that valued the NWSL club at approximately $35 million.
The following year, she turned to Europe, acquiring a controlling interest in Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, the continent’s most decorated club. In December 2023, she took over London City Lionesses, an independent women’s club in England that played in the second division of English women’s soccer at the time. Since then, the club has been promoted to the Women’s Super League, and Kang convinced Spain’s heavy hitters Putellas, Corrales and Mapi León to come on board.
Of course, club affiliations meant little once Saturday’s match began.
There was already tension between two teams competing for supremacy in the women’s game. But the action grew particularly heated around the 30th minute, when Rodman brought Putellas to the ground with a challenge that earned her a yellow card.
For Kang, who has invested millions of dollars in building a global women’s soccer organization, the moment offered an unusual spectacle: two of the biggest stars in her portfolio going head-to-head on the international stage. She must have gawked at the intense moment, hoping neither player was injured.
Kang’s ambitions extend beyond club ownership. In November 2024, she pledged $30 million to U.S. Soccer, one of the largest philanthropic commitments to women’s and girls’ soccer in the federation’s history.
After the contest, Kang made her way to the locker room, an unusual move for the businesswoman, who, despite her growing soccer empire, does not own the venue.
Dressed to the nines, as usual, in a black-and-white striped jacket and crisp, white cuffed pants, Kang carried herself with the unmistakable confidence of a power broker behind some of the world’s best women’s soccer clubs.
Though only one team won the match Saturday, Kang and her global dominance ultimately won the day.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
US Women's national team, Washington Spirit, London City Lionesses LFC, NWSL, Sports Business, Women's Soccer
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