I thought long and hard about what this week’s Storylines would be about. Should I keep making fun of the fact that NYCFC plays in whatever baseball stadium is available for the day? Should I mock their unofficial mascot, the pigeon? Or should I go a different direction and pretend I had difficulty coming up with a topic, just so I can dunk on the previously mentioned jokes one last time? Probably the latter.

This week, I want to talk about the mothership. No, I’m not referring to Major League Soccer, though our single-entity ownership structure might be worth writing a Know Your League Explainer about sometime soon. Instead, we’re exploring City Football Group ahead of our latest run-in with a member of their global soccer empire. I know plenty of people have strong opinions on some of the groups backing CFG, but today’s discussion is strictly about soccer and soccer operations. Regardless of your feelings toward those behind the curtain, you must admit, they’ve put together something remarkable.

The Big Idea

What began with the transformation of Manchester City FC in the English Premier League has blossomed into one of the world’s most wide-reaching and effective soccer development models. With partial to complete ownership in 13 different clubs across the world and some very wealthy owners bankrolling the project, City Football Group has made multi-club ownership a sustainable reality. But it may have never happened without MLS.

Back in 2013, the multi-club project officially began with the formation of NYCFC, the ownership group’s first foray into a new league. The idea was spurred on by CEO Ferran Soriano, who had long been eager to explore the expansion of global soccer brands into foreign markets since his time at Barcelona. Now, with the first direct affiliate of Manchester City established, Soriano was able to start CFG’s quest for “world domination.”

Beyond their direct ownership stakes, CFG has agreed to several partnership deals with clubs around the world, offering a smoother exchange of ideas and philosophies, as well as greater highways for player identification, development, and acquisition. Without getting into the extremely nuanced rules that the group has to navigate across the world, it’s clear that they’ve built a model that plenty of clubs would love to emulate, from a sporting perspective at the very least.

Despite their success — or more likely because of it —there are arguments both ways regarding CFG’s approach to club ownership and management. While such a large network connects the world of soccer in an unprecedented way, some believe that it robs communities of their autonomous club identity. Anything built by the club once it joins CFG might feel foreign and plastic to locals, even if it comes from local roots. By entering so many areas and dipping their toe into so many different talent pools, this global superpower is redefining the sport by turning multi-club ownership into a successful business model, and many people don’t know how to feel about it.

Proof of Concept

I know; I can’t mention that they have a stake in 13 clubs without listing them out for you. According to their website, CFG has an ownership interest in the following clubs:

• Manchester City - English Premier League (England)
• ESTAC Troyes - Ligue 1 (France)
• Girona FC - La Liga (Spain)
• Palermo - Serie B (Italy)
• Lommel SK - Challenger Pro League (Belgium)
• NYCFC - Major League Soccer (USA)
• Bahia - Série A (Brazil)
• Montevideo City Torque - Uruguayan Primera División (Uruguay)
• Club Bolívar (Partner club) - Bolivian Primera División (Bolivia)
• Mumbai City FC - Indian Super League (India)
• Shenzhen Peng City FC - Chinese Super League (China)
• Yokohama F. Marinos - J1 League (Japan)
• Melbourne City FC - A-League (Australia)

They claim to have more than a billion total followers worldwide, with representation in countries that make up approximately 50% of the world’s population. They’ve gained fame through a combination of sporting success, marketing strategy, unified vision, and those exceptionally wealthy backers I mentioned before — can’t forget them. They’ve turned Manchester City into one of the sport’s elite competitors, winning more than 20 trophies since new ownership took over in 2008, including a UEFA Champions League triumph in 2023 and eight Premier League titles.

But CFG has found success outside of their crown jewel. They won MLS Cup with NYCFC in 2021, turned Girona FC into a Champions League club just seven years after investing in it, and have put together a litany of accomplishments and trophies across the world. Minnesota United’s very own Khaled El-Ahmad notably spent time with CFG before joining the Loons, contributing to the formation of that 2021 NYCFC squad.

City Football Group is a soccer machine at this point, and after just over a decade of operation, they’ve become a source of envy, admiration, and rule changes across the sport. Like them or not, they’re pushing the boundaries of our beautiful game, and I for one am always excited for a chance to test our mettle against a trailblazing opponent. Bring it on, NYCFC.