Müller, Hummels and Lucas Hernandez Buy Estrela da Amadora for 40 Million Euros

Just four years ago, Estrela da Amadora did not even exist in Portugal's top flight. Today, three World Cup winners are among its owners. That is how quickly the story of a small club can change when the right money shows up.

The club confirmed this Tuesday that an international consortium acquired 90% of the shares for roughly 40 million euros (about $47 million). The seller was Paulo Lopo, the former president and owner who bought the club back in 2020 for just 72,000 euros (around $84,000). Do the math and it stings: he multiplied his investment more than 500 times over in five years.

What stands out about this deal is not just the price tag, but who is behind it. The investment group includes Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels and Lucas Hernandez, three names with World Cup pedigree: Muller and Hummels were key pieces of Germany's title-winning squad in 2014, while Hernandez helped France lift the trophy in 2018. Also joining is Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, now with Club Brugge after leaving Inter Milan, last season's Serie A champions.

The connection between Muller, Hummels and Hernandez is no coincidence: all three shared a locker room at different points during Muller's long career at Bayern Munich. Muller now plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps, but his bond with his former Bavarian teammates lives on, now in business as well.

The consortium is led by ADvantage and LEAD, with backing from the KI Group. There is also another name with a story of his own: Johannes Mosmang, 35, who will take over as club president in place of Lopo. Mosmang spent the last decade working in Bayern Munich's player management department, so he does not arrive as an unknown quantity in elite soccer.

From Insolvency to the Primeira Liga

To grasp how unusual this deal is, you have to look back. Estrela da Amadora was declared insolvent in 2011 and effectively vanished from the competitive map as it had been known. After merging with Sintra in 2020, the club returned to Portugal's third division before climbing back up to the Primeira Liga in 2023.

Last season, the club finished 15th out of 18 teams, staying up thanks to a better head-to-head record against Casa Pia, the team that finished just below it. Nothing spectacular on the field, but enough to remain in the top flight and, now, enough to attract investment of this magnitude.

Estrela is based in Amadora, about 10 kilometers northwest of Lisbon. A neighborhood club with a history of ups and downs has suddenly become the pet project of a group of World Cup champions. It remains to be seen how long it takes for that financial backing to translate into results on the field.