Photo by Waleed Zein/Anadolu Agency, Getty Images
Magnus Carlsen shows his passion for football by opening his wallet.
The Norwegian chess grandmaster has become an investor in soccer training and entertainment company TOCA Football. The five-time world champion joins a list of star investors in the sport, including England football captain Harry Kane and more recently Angel City FC standouts Alyssa and Gisele Thompson. I did.
Financial terms of Carlsen's deal were not disclosed, but he will also serve as a brand ambassador as part of the company's equity deal. The world's top-ranked players will explore ways to engage soccer and chess fans while promoting TOCA as part of the partnership. He said in the release that there is “a lot of crossover” between the two activities.
This is the latest example of Carlsen's interest in soccer. The 33-year-old was previously one of the world's most popular fantasy players in the fantasy league, where he was one of the top-ranked players in the league.
A chess prodigy, Carlsen achieved fame at a young age, winning the title of grandmaster at the age of 13. Many consider him the best chess player of the past decade. Although he is not an athlete per se like his ambassadors for TOCA's other brands, he does offer the company an opportunity to tap into a different fan base that could expand its consumer base.
TOCA was founded in 2016 by former Major League Soccer (MLS) midfielder Eddie Lewis, and has been gaining recognition in recent years. The MLS-backed technology experience company signed a 10-year deal with the league in 2022 to become its official training and entertainment facility partner.