Nigerian Afrobeats star and Grammy award-winning artiste Tems has joined the ownership group of San Diego FC through her company The Leading Vibe, the Major Soccer League (MLS) club announced on Wednesday.
Tems, a two-time Grammy Award winner, recently took home the Best African Music Performance for “Love Me Jeje” from her debut album “Born In The Wild” at the 67th GRAMMY Awards earlier this month.
The 29-year-old also got Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her effort on “Lift Me Up,” the lead single off the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.
“I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community,” Tems told the club website.
“Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
From Lagos to San Diego…
GRAMMY Award-Winning, Oscar Nominated Nigerian singer-songwriter @temsbaby joins San Diego FC ownership group as a club partner.
Tems becomes the FIRST African female to be involved in MLS ownership.
Read ⤵️
— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) February 12, 2025
San Diego FC Chairman, Sir Mohamed Mansour, said: “We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a Club Partner. Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us to reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which of course has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organization.”
The Lagos-born artist joins a star-studded list of club partners at San Diego FC, including actress Issa Rae, World Cup winner Juan Mata, retired U.S. Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, and founding partner and San Diego Padres’ MLB All-Star Manny Machado.
San Diego FC, established in May 2023, will begin competing in the MLS in the 2025 season as the 30th team in the league. The team will play in the Western Conference with the Snapdragon Stadium in California as their home ground.
They will make their MLS debut on Sunday, 23 February, against LA Galaxy, who are the reigning MLS Cup champions.
