Altidore Joins Westbrook in $1bn Oklahoma City Soccer Investment Push

Former USMNT striker Jozy Altidore has joined a high-profile ownership group led by NBA star Russell Westbrook targeting the development of a professional soccer club and stadium project in Oklahoma City, in a deal reportedly valued at around $1bn.

The initiative reflects a growing trend of athlete-led investment groups targeting expansion opportunities in North American football, with the project aiming to establish a top-tier professional club supported by a purpose-built venue and mixed-use real estate development.

The consortium is seeking to accelerate soccer’s commercial growth in the Oklahoma market, positioning the city as an emerging hub for professional football in the United States.

Altidore’s involvement marks a notable step in the former striker’s post-playing career, signalling a shift towards sports ownership and long-term infrastructure investment. The move follows a wider pattern of retired or late-career athletes seeking equity positions in clubs and sports properties, rather than traditional endorsement or ambassador roles.

Westbrook’s participation provides additional visibility and commercial leverage. The NBA MVP has increasingly expanded his business interests across fashion, media and sport, and his presence reflects the growing crossover between basketball and soccer investment ecosystems in the US. Athlete-driven ownership groups are becoming influential stakeholders in the development of new sports franchises, particularly in emerging or underserved markets.

The Oklahoma City project also highlights continued expansion momentum across the US soccer landscape, where franchise valuations, infrastructure development and fan demand continue to rise ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Investors are increasingly targeting regional markets with strong population growth and limited top-tier sports competition, seeing opportunities to build vertically integrated sports and entertainment districts.

For the broader industry, the development underscores three structural trends shaping global sport investment: the rise of athlete-investors as strategic capital partners, the increasing role of real estate in sports franchise economics, and the continued commercialisation of soccer in North America.

If successful, the Oklahoma City project could become a blueprint for future expansion strategies, combining celebrity ownership, venue development and long-term commercial positioning. It also reinforces the shifting role of elite athletes from participants to institutional investors within the global sports economy.