Atlético Madrid’s ownership picture gained an unexpected sporting crossover on Thursday night, as NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became an investor in the Spanish club.
Key takeaways
- Gilgeous-Alexander has joined Atlético Madrid’s shareholder group, with the size of his investment undisclosed.
- The 28-year-old Canadian is the reigning NBA champion with the Oklahoma City Thunder, having won the title in 2025.
- He described Atlético as a club with a long record at the top level of European football and said he was pleased to help shape its future.
- Apollo Sports Capital has been Atlético’s majority shareholder for several months after a transaction involving nearly 80% of the club’s shares.
An NBA champion enters Atlético’s ownership structure
Atlético confirmed on social media that Gilgeous-Alexander had invested in the club and joined its ownership group. Neither the club nor the player revealed the financial scale of the move.
The Canadian guard has become one of basketball’s leading figures following Oklahoma City’s NBA championship success in 2025. A two-time reigning NBA MVP, he said he was delighted to become a shareholder in a side with such a substantial European pedigree.
“I am thrilled to join the ownership of a club with a long history at the highest level of European football, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to its future,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
A changing balance of power at Atlético
Gilgeous-Alexander arrives during a period of significant change behind the scenes at Atlético. American investment fund Apollo Sports Capital became the club’s majority shareholder in recent months, in a deal understood to have involved the purchase of close to 80% of the shares previously held by Spaniard Enrique Cerezo.
The investment also carries a small Madrid twist. Gilgeous-Alexander has on several occasions appeared in the shirt of Atlético’s city rivals Real Madrid, and he is a close friend of Real’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr.
That past association has not stopped the 28-year-old from placing his investment on the red-and-white side of the capital, adding another high-profile name to Atlético’s evolving ownership landscape.
