Querétaro 1st Liga MX club under U.S. ownership

Innovatio Capital have completed the takeover of Querétaro FC to become the first majority-U.S. ownership group in Liga MX.

Marc Spiegel, the chairman of Innovatio Capital, finalised the acquisition of the Mexican side from Jorge Alberto Hank on Friday.

Innovatio Capital is a sports and data investment firm that uses technology to identify investment opportunities in undervalued markets, acquire those assets and to create operational edges.

"I could not be happier," Spiegel said in a statement. "We identified Liga MX as a competition we wanted to invest in a long time ago, and when the opportunity came up to visit Queretaro and see the city and the club, we knew that this was where we wanted to be.

"To complete this deal in the week of the club's 75th birthday is obviously especially meaningful to us. We can't wait to see the fans at La Corregidora for the [first home game of the season] against Pumas."

Sources told ESPN there has been an increased interest in investing in Liga MX ahead of the centralization of media rights and a league-level investment by private equity giant Apollo Global, who are in advanced negotiations to invest more than $1 billion in the league.

Wrexham co-owners and Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney recently joined Eva Longoria in taking a stake in Liga MX side Necaxa, but Querétaro become the first team to be majority owned by an American group.

Spiegel, who unsuccessfully bid for English Championship side Charlton Athletic in 2023, is joined by Chris Spooner, who will function as the CFO, and Ed Malyon, who will oversee data and sporting strategy.

Querétaro kick off the new Liga MX season away at Club Tijuana this weekend and then travel to Necaxa next week, with the first home game under the new owners against Pumas on July 25.