Vinicius Jr. has just become the majority owner of a Portuguese second-division club named FC Alverca. He’s reportedly leading a group of Brazilian and Spanish investors in an $8.4 million takeover, taking around 70 to 80 percent of the team. For many fans, this feels like a natural extension of a young athlete hungry to expand his influence beyond the pitch.
It’s not the first time a star player has bought into European football. His Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe bought Ligue 2 side SM Caen in 2023. Yet for Vinicius, this move seems driven by a personal desire to nurture fresh talent while cultivating a winning culture.
FC Alverca currently sits second in Liga Portugal 2, breathing down the necks of the league leaders as they push for promotion. It’s a remarkable rise for a club that nearly disappeared in 2005 following dire financial struggles.
Aiming for Promotion
Tucked away near Lisbon, Alverca’s modest stadium seats just over 7,700 fans. It’s a far cry from the grandeur of the Bernabéu, but the energy on matchdays reverberates through the concrete terraces. Fifteen Brazilian players fill the squad—something that no doubt appealed to Vinicius. He’s expected to bring a mix of financial stability and on-field insight, offering valuable lessons from his rise at Real Madrid.
Club officials, however, have offered only a hint of what’s next. “Ricardo Vicintin has sold his qualified stake in the public limited company to a group of investors. More information on the matter will be communicated in due course,” read a brief statement. These are new days for Alverca, and local supporters are brimming with cautious excitement.
Still, Vinicius can’t lose focus on his primary mission in Madrid. He’s set to face Manchester City soon, a match that could decide Real’s Champions League fate. Balancing two worlds—one as a star winger and another as a young owner—could prove challenging. But if his past performances are any indication, he’s more than capable of handling the pressure.
For now, Alverca’s faithful wait to see how this partnership unfolds. The club that once toiled in obscurity could soon brush shoulders with Portugal’s biggest teams. That dream, once distant, might be closer than ever thanks to a young Brazilian determined to leave his mark in more ways than one.
