Actor Will Ferrell becomes co-owner of new football club

Will Ferrell's family are into football. Credit: PA

Actor Will Ferrell has confirmed himself as a co-owner of Major League Soccer's latest franchise Los Angeles FC.

The former Saturday Night Live star, best known for comedy films such as Elf and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, joins former LA Lakers star Magic Johnson and ex-women's national team footballer Mia Hamm in a star-studded ownership group.

Ferrel was called onto stage by Hamm during a launch for the new team. When asked "You want in?", Ferrell announced: "This is not a joke. I'm actually a member of this fine ownership group."

Cardiff chairman Vincent Tan and QPR director Ruben Gnanalingam also feature in a 26-strong ownership group under president Tom Penn, formerly vice-president of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers and now an analyst for ESPN, executive chairman Peter Guber and managing partner Henry Nguyen.

Regarding the sprawling club structure, Nguyen said: "From the outside it seems cumbersome. It's a joy to have such a collection of incredibly successful, experienced, talented people contributing their ideas."

The new franchise will enter the league from 2018 as the replacement for Chivas USA. They will become LA's second team after the Galaxy, who number former Premier League stars Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard among their squad.

LAFC will play in a purpose-built 22,000-seat stadium in the south of the city, adjacent to the University of South California's American football stadium.

Thursday also saw them unveil their crest - the letters LA with a wing incorporated into the A, in the club's black-and-gold colour scheme.