The Wilf family, owners of the Minnesota Vikings, announced Wednesday that it is acquiring Orlando City of Major League Soccer and the Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League.
Wilf family says it's purchasing Orlando's MLS, NWSL franchises
The owners of the Minnesota Vikings, who made an unsuccessful push to purchase Minnesota United FC, are already minority owners of Nashville SC.
May 12, 2021 at 8:33PM
The move adds to the Wilf family investment in soccer franchises, which also includes a minority stake in Nashville SC.
The Wilf family, in a statement, said it "is excited to become stewards'' of the two Orlando franchises.
"We are optimistic that our acquisition will be finalized after the customary closing process is completed, and we look forward to making an official announcement in the near future," the statement said.
The Wilfs have a 30- to 60-day negotiating window with current Orlando owner Augusto da Silva, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Sportico reported the sale was in the price range of $400-$450 million. The Sentinel added that the sale includes Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, the Orlando City academy system and Exploria Stadium.
The Wilfs' statement added, "Among our goals are to build championship soccer clubs for the passionate and loyal soccer fans of the region, provide a best-in-class fan experience, and use our platform for positive impact in the Orlando community.
When MLS awarded Minnesota United FC to businessman Bill McGuire in 2015, the Wilfs were left disappointed after they made a major push to own the franchise.
Da Silva told the Sentinel that he believes that the Wilf family was the right group to take over stewardship of professional soccer in Orlando.
"With their passion for the sport and Orlando's two teams that are in position to compete for trophies, I am confident that the Wilf family will continue to push Orlando City SC to new heights," da Silva said, adding that the sale is expected to be finalized in the coming months.
Orlando City made its MLS debut in 2015.
For the Wilfs, majority ownership in soccer franchises has been a long time coming. When the club invested in Nashville FC in 2017, Mark Wilf told the Star Tribune's Michael Rand that when they lost out in their bid to land the Minnesota franchise, it did not diminish their desire in MLS ownership.
"Listen, we've been passionate about the game of soccer and believe in its future in the United States," Wilf said. "Our interest in being part of MLS has not wavered at all since our efforts to bring it to Minnesota."
Minnesota started only two strikers against Seattle, leaving Sang Bin Jeong and Joseph Rosales to provide the width behind Teemu Pukki and Kelvin Yeboah.
