Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) today announced that club legend Carlos Vela has joined LAFC\u2019s ownership group, marking the next chapter in his historic relationship with the Black & Gold and further solidifying his lasting commitment to the club and the city of Los Angeles. Vela will be introduced in a press conference at BMO Stadium on Saturday, March 14, at 6 p.m. PT.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the most influential figures in LAFC and Major League Soccer history, Vela becomes the latest former player to transition into ownership with the club he helped build from its\u00a0inception. His addition to the ownership group reflects LAFC\u2019s belief in continuity, leadership, and honoring those who have shaped the club\u2019s identity on and off the pitch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLAFC has always been more than a club to me \u2014 it is home,\u201d Vela said. \u201cFrom the first day, we set out to build something special for Los Angeles, and I am incredibly proud of what we\u00a0have\u00a0accomplished\u00a0together. Becoming an owner is an honor and a responsibility I take seriously.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0excited to continue supporting the club, our players, and our fans as we keep building for the future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vela joined LAFC as the first player in club history when he signed as a Designated Player in August 2017 ahead of the club\u2019s inaugural 2018 season. Over six seasons with the Black & Gold, he\u00a0established\u00a0himself as one of the most decorated players in MLS history and\u00a0LAFC\u2019s all-time leader in\u00a0MLS\u00a0games played (152),\u00a0goals (78), and assists (42). His record-breaking 2019 season, in which he won MLS MVP after scoring a league-record\u00a034 goals,\u00a0remains\u00a0one of the greatest individual campaigns in MLS history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCarlos has always embodied the commitment to excellence, ambition, and\u00a0the\u00a0leadership mentality that LAFC stands for,\u201d said LAFC Lead Managing Owner Bennett Rosenthal. \u201cSince the moment he arrived in Los Angeles, he helped define the Black\u00a0&\u00a0Gold standard and elevate our club on a global stage. Having Carlos join our ownership group is\u00a0a statement\u00a0regarding\u00a0his status as both\u00a0a\u00a0legendary player in our club\u2019s history and his commitment to being an important part of our future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vela led LAFC through\u00a0the most successful era in club history, including the 2022 MLS Cup, Supporters\u2019 Shields in 2019 and 2022, and multiple historic runs in international competition. A four-time MLS All-Star and three-time MLS Best XI\u00a0selection, he played\u00a0a central role\u00a0in establishing LAFC as one of the premier clubs in North America.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCarlos\u2019 impact on LAFC extends far beyond goals and trophies,\u201d said LAFC Co-President & General Manager John\u00a0Thorrington. \u201cQuite simply, this club would not be what it is today without him. He helped shape our identity, our style of play, and our connection with the city from the very beginning. As an owner, Carlos will continue to influence LAFC in meaningful ways, and\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0proud that his legacy will continue as part of our future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In addition to his ownership role, Vela continues to serve as LAFC\u2019s first Black & Gold Ambassador,\u00a0representing\u00a0the club globally and strengthening its connection to supporters across Los Angeles and beyond.\u00a0He became the first member of the club\u2019s Ring of Honor when he was honored during a pregame ceremony\u00a0on Noche de Carlos Vela at BMO Stadium\u00a0on\u00a0September\u00a021,\u00a02025.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
A native of Canc\u00fan, Mexico, Vela also enjoyed a distinguished international career with the Mexican National Team, earning 72 caps and competing in the 2010 and 2018 FIFA World Cups. Prior to LAFC, he starred with Real Sociedad in Spain\u2019s La Liga after beginning his professional career with Arsenal in the English Premier League.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With his transition to ownership, Carlos Vela\u2019s legacy with LAFC enters a new era \u2014 one rooted in the same vision, passion, and commitment that helped launch the club and\u00a0establish\u00a0the Black & Gold standard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) today announced that club legend Carlos Vela has joined LAFC\u2019s ownership group, marking…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215166,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[98684,48,52,51,47,50,49,100,42678,4894],"class_list":["post-215165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-carlos-vela","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-news","tag-owners","tag-press-release"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215165\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}