Mercury13 Makes Majority Investment in FC Badalona Women, Expanding into Spanish Women’s Football
10 March 2026 — Mercury13, the multi-club ownership group dedicated to women’s football, has made a majority investment in Liga F club FC Badalona Women, becoming the first women’s football-focused multi-club ownership platform to invest in the Spanish market.
In conjunction with the investment, the new ownership group led by Mercury13 has reaffirmed FC Badalona Women’s commitment to the City of Badalona and its ambition to host elite women’s football. Following renovation works led by the City of Badalona to make the stadium fit for first division football, FC Badalona Women will play its home fixtures at the Estadi Municipal de Badalona from the 2026/27 season onwards, reinforcing its commitment to the local community and its future in the city.
The investment by Mercury13, which was founded to address the structural underinvestment in women’s football, represents the next step in a strategy to build a portfolio of women’s football clubs across leading European leagues, bringing long term capital, operational expertise and commercial scale. In 2024, Mercury13 itself received a significant investment from the Avenue Sports Fund, a leading global sports investor, to advance this mission. Mercury13 has identified FC Badalona Women as a club with ambition and momentum that, with the right support, is poised to strengthen its position within Spanish football. It joins FC Como Women of Serie A Women in Italy, and Bristol City Women FC of England’s WSL 2 in Mercury13’s growing stable of clubs.
It is also announced today that Fever and Nike, two partners strongly committed to women’s football, will support FC Badalona Women in this new chapter. Fever, the leading global live entertainment discovery platform, will become FC Badalona Women’s front of shirt sponsor and strategic partner. Fever will work alongside Mercury13 and the club to connect new audiences within women´s football, develop fan experiences and help grow the club´s presence both locally and internationally.
Lauren Holiday, Chairwoman of Mercury13 and athlete advisor to Avenue Sports, will join the Board of FC Badalona Women. A FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist with the United States Women’s National Team, Holiday is widely recognised as one of the most accomplished players of her generation. Since retiring, she has become an active investor and advocate in women’s sport.
Josep Bellet, member of Liga F's executive committee, will remain as club President, continuing to support the club through this next stage of development. Former FIFA and Olympique de Marseille executive Pedro Iriondo will join as CEO, bringing operational leadership and experience as the club enters this new phase.
Statements
Lauren Holiday, Chairwoman of Mercury13 and incoming Board Member of FC Badalona Women, said: “Spanish women’s football has experienced extraordinary growth in recent years and continues to set new competitive standards. Badalona is a city with a proud sporting culture and sits in the heart of one of the world’s most exciting football environments. FC Badalona Women is at an exciting stage in its journey, and Mercury13 is committed to supporting the club as it builds its next chapter.”
Pedro Iriondo, CEO of FC Badalona Women, said: “Mercury13 brings dedicated focus, international experience and a clear strategic vision for women’s football. Our priority now is to build strong professional structures around the club - operationally and culturally - while shaping a clear identity for FC Badalona Women that reflects the spirit of the city and its community. From there, our goal is to develop a competitive team that grows with Badalona and competes at the highest level.”
Rocío Trujillo Alba, Regional General Manager - Southern Europe at Fever, said: “At Fever, we work to connect fans with the best experiences and we strongly believe in the future of women’s football. Partnering with Mercury13 and FC Badalona Women is an exciting opportunity to support the club’s arrival and growth within a thriving sporting community like Badalona.”
About Mercury13
Mercury13 is a multi-club ownership group focused on acquiring majority stakes in professional women’s football teams across Europe. The group's vision is to become the benchmark in the women’s club ownership industry by identifying and investing in the clubs of the future, while enhancing their commercial capabilities to engage a large but historically underserved audience of women’s football fans.
The group’s acquisition strategy is founded on a core principle: women’s football and its fans seek a distinct experience. Mercury13 is led by executives with proven track records in sports, investment, and technology. The founding team brings together unique expertise, skills, and perspectives that position them to become a leading operator in this sector.
About FC Badalona Women
FC Badalona Women is a professional women’s football club competing in Liga F, the top tier of women’s football in Spain. The club is developing its long-term sporting project in the city of Badalona, where it will host its home matches at the Estadi Municipal de Badalona from the 2026/27 season. The team currently sits 8th in Liga F and has reached the semi-finals of the Copa de la Reina, where it will face FC Barcelona in a two-legged tie.
Contact:
For Mercury 13: press@mercury13.com
For FC Badalona Women: hola@xerpastudio.com
