The women’s football investment group Mercury13 has made a majority investment in Liga F club, FC Badalona, marking the group’s first move into the Spanish market and another step in its growing European multi-club strategy.
Not be confused with their famous FC Barcelona. The fourth largest city within Catalonia, Badalona is located just north of their famous neighbours.
A New Chapter for Badalona
From the 2026/27 season, FC Badalona Women will play its home matches at the Estadi Municipal de Badalona following renovation works carried out by the city to bring the venue up to first-division standards.
The move is intended to strengthen the club’s connection with the local community while providing facilities capable of supporting top-tier women’s football.
Mercury13 was founded to address what it sees as structural underinvestment in women’s football, and the group is working to build a network of clubs across leading European leagues with long-term capital, operational expertise and commercial support.
In 2024, the organisation received a major investment from the Avenue Sports Fund, helping accelerate its expansion plans.
FC Badalona now joins fellow Mercury13 clubs FC Como Women in Italy’s Serie A Women and Bristol City Women FC in England’s second-tier WSL 2.
New Commercial Partnerships
Two major partners will also join the club as part of this new phase.
Global live-entertainment platform Fever will become front-of-shirt sponsor and strategic partner, while sportswear giant Nike will serve as the club’s technical partner.
Fever will work with Mercury13 and the club to help expand the fanbase, develop new matchday experiences and grow the club’s profile both locally and internationally.
Leadership Changes at the Club
As part of the ownership transition, several leadership appointments have been confirmed.
Former United States international Lauren Holiday, chairwoman of Mercury13 and an athlete adviser to Avenue Sports, will join the club’s board.
Holiday is widely regarded as one of the most successful players of her generation, having won the FIFA Women’s World Cup and two Olympic gold medals with the United States Women’s National Team before moving into investment and leadership roles within women’s sport.
Meanwhile, Pedro Iriondo, previously an executive with FIFA and Olympique de Marseille, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of FC Badalona Women.
Current president Josep Bellet, who also sits on Liga F’s executive committee, will remain in his role as the club enters its next phase of development.
Ambitions On and Off the Pitch
Speaking about the investment, Holiday highlighted the rapid development of women’s football in Spain.
She said the country has “experienced extraordinary growth in recent years” and that Badalona sits in one of the most exciting football environments in the world.
Iriondo added that the immediate focus will be on building strong professional structures around the club, both operationally and culturally, while developing a clear identity rooted in the city and its community.
Current Season Performance
On the pitch, FC Badalona Women are currently 8th in Liga F and remain competitive in domestic cup action. The team has reached the semi-finals of the Copa de la Reina, where they will face reigning Spanish champions FC Barcelona over two legs.
