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El Guaje
How David Villa Followed a Proven Blueprint to Set Himself Up After a Legendary Career
Ryan Cox
October 05, 2024
David Villa stands as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, and he’s applied the same tenacity and intelligence to his business ventures that he displayed throughout his 19-year football career.
Villa has learned from the successes of those who came before him, following their proven blueprints.
Table of Contents
Who is David Villa?
Born in 1981 in Asturias, Spain, David Villa overcame a fractured right femur in his childhood to become one of the most prolific strikers of his generation.
With support from his father, Villa trained hard and developed the ability to use both feet, a skill that would later set him apart on the field.
"He would be there throwing me the ball over and over, making me kick it with my left leg when my right was in plaster after breaking it, I was four. I can barely remember a single training session when my dad wasn't there. I have never been alone on a football pitch.”
Nicknamed “El Guaje” (The Kid), Villa earned a reputation in his hometown for playing against older kids and never being seen without a ball.
Despite almost quitting at 14 after falling out with his coach, more encouragement from his father kept him on track.
At 17, Villa enrolled at the Mareo Football School, the training ground for Sporting de Gijón.
He was initially overlooked by larger clubs like Real Oviedo due to his height, but Sporting gave him a chance.
Villa quickly proved himself, scoring 25 goals in his first two seasons and becoming a first-team regular.
“I started out playing football in the streets, playing barefoot like all the boys there - we didn’t have the money for football boots.”
His success led to a move to Real Zaragoza in 2003, where he continued his goal-scoring form, netting 17 goals in his first season and playing a crucial role in winning the Copa del Rey.
In 2005, Villa was transferred to Valencia for $12 million.
It was here that he cemented his status as a top striker, including scoring a stunning long-range goal from nearly half-field against Deportivo La Coruña.
His incredible performances earned him a spot on the Spanish national team, where he would make his World Cup debut in 2006.
Villa’s breakthrough on the international stage came in 2008 during Spain’s Euro campaign, where he scored six goals in qualification and four in the tournament, earning the Golden Boot and helping Spain win their first major title in 44 years.
His run continued into the 2010 World Cup, where he scored five goals and was involved in 75% of Spain’s goals, helping his country secure their first World Cup title.
In 2010, Villa moved to FC Barcelona for a $40 million transfer fee.
His time at the club was marked by success, including a Champions League title and a La Liga win.
He later joined Atlético Madrid in 2013, where he won another La Liga title before moving to New York City FC in 2014, becoming the club's first captain and Designated Player.
NYC FC loaned Villa to Australia’s Melbourne City FC for 10 games, in which he played only 4 before returning to the States to play for the new MLS club for their first 4 seasons.
After a short stint in Japan with Vissel Kobe, Villa announced his retirement in 2019.
Now residing in New York with his wife Patricia and their three children, Villa has shifted his focus to his business ventures, leaving a legacy as one of Spain’s greatest footballers.
“Football was much, much more than I hoped it would be. If I dreamed as a kid, I could never have foreseen such amazing things.”
What is David Villa’s Net Worth?
David Villa's current estimated net worth is $70 million.
He signed his first major contract with Real Zaragoza, earning around $3 million per year.
As his career progressed, Villa reached his peak earnings at FC Barcelona, where he made approximately $7 million per year during his four-year stint with the club.
When he transitioned to Major League Soccer with New York City FC, Villa accepted a slightly lower salary of $6 million annually.
In his final season in Japan he earned about $3 million.
While his contracts were never the largest in the sport, Villa wisely observed how other athletes managed their finances. By following proven financial strategies, he set himself up for long-term financial stability.
David Villa’s Business Ventures
Sports Ownership
Following the path of football legends like David Beckham and Didier Drogba, David Villa has invested in a new football franchise in the United States.
Having spent four years playing in Major League Soccer (MLS), Villa saw firsthand the growing popularity of the sport in the United States and took the opportunity to be part of its expansion.
Queensboro FC, a team competing in the USL Championship—a tier just below MLS—is Villa’s key investment in the U.S. soccer scene.
He is a leading investor in a group headed by Jonathan Krane, CEO of the New York City-based asset management firm KraneShares. Krane had previously been involved with the USL, sponsoring New Mexico United.
The group acquired the Queensboro FC franchise for an estimated $20-30 million.
The team made its debut in the USL in 2022 and plays select home matches at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, while most games are held at York College in Queens.
Odisha FC
In 2021, Villa expanded his portfolio by joining Odisha FC of the Indian Super League.
He took on the role of advisor on the club's Football Committee, working alongside former coach Josep Gombau and sports journalist Victor Onate. Together, they provide guidance to the coaching staff and support youth development within the club.
Villa serves as Odisha FC's Head of Global Football Operations, leveraging his extensive playing experience across multiple continents to offer strategic insights and elevate the club’s football activities on and off the pitch.
"I will try to bring my experience. Obviously, I didn't play in India but I played soccer for 20 years as a professional and before that in the academy. And in all of the projects that we [my team] are involved in, I try to give all of my experience that I have in soccer.”
DV7 Group
David Villa is the co-founder of the DV7 Group, an umbrella company that encompasses his soccer academy, sports marketing brand, and media ventures.
Established in 2014, DV7 Group is headquartered in New York with additional offices in Valencia and Chicago.
Villa founded the company with the mission to create value and opportunity in the soccer industry by providing 360-degree coverage in sports management, consulting, and marketing for athletes.
VOS Marketing USA
VOS USA is focused on athlete representation and marketing, specializing in discovering and developing top talent while offering a comprehensive range of services for athletes' careers.
Villa leverages his industry expertise and connections to provide career management, secure endorsements, brand partnerships, and handle media and public relations for their clients.
The executive team includes David Villa as President, Victor Onate (also his partner at Odisha FC) as CEO, Jaime Quintero as Director of Latin America, and David Guerra as Director of Media and Business Development.
Key services offered by VOS USA include:
Career Management: Contract negotiation, financial planning, endorsements, and psychological training for athletes.
Marketing Consulting: Public relations, personal branding strategy, and connecting clients with the right brands, media outlets, and fans.
Over the past decade, VOS USA has amassed an impressive roster of athletes and established a strong reputation within the industry.
“Quality not Quantity”
DV7 Academy
DV7 Academy is dedicated to developing young soccer talent, with a particular focus on players in the United States.
The academy follows the Spanish Soccer Methodology, which emphasizes individual skill development, game control, maximizing possession time, and character-building both on and off the field.
Villa, inspired by his own experiences and the teachings of legendary coaches like Luis Aragonés, Pep Guardiola, and Vicente Del Bosque, incorporates a holistic approach to player development—encouraging a healthy lifestyle, academic achievement, and positive mental attitude.
DV7 Academy operates in three sectors:
Elite: Players pursuing college scholarships or professional careers, supported by VOS USA.
High-Performance: Academy and Pre-Academy players focused on intensive training.
Development: Young players in soccer schools, emphasizing early training in a friendly and encouraging environment.
In addition to regular competition and training, the Academy offers clinics and camps for different skill levels.
DV7 Academy locations include New York, Chula Vista, Santo Domingo, Bayamón, and Madrid.
DV7 Media
DV7 Media rounds out the services provided by DV7 Group, offering tailored sports content creation for athletes across various platforms.
The company produces custom videos and other content formats, ensuring a strong media presence for their clients.
DV7 Media's YouTube channel, DV7Media, has nearly 60,000 subscribers.
Their most popular content includes short videos ranging from 3-7 minutes, though they experimented with longer podcast formats in 2023 before halting production recently.
The Success Strategies of David Villa
Follow the Proven Blueprint: Villa identified key figures in the industry and learned from their success, trusting the process and blueprint they’ve already followed.
Feed Your Ecosystem: Villa focused on building an ecosystem that supports aspiring players. creating pathways for young talent to achieve their own dreams.
Hit Every Angle: Villa's built a business that addresses every need for both emerging and established players, ensuring no services are overlooked.
The Bottom Line
David Villa has strategically invested in his own ecosystem, not only giving back to the sport but also creating opportunities he wished he had as a young player.
By following the path of athletes-turned-entrepreneurs before him, he has identified a market with room for growth and positioned himself to capitalize on them.
He’s also built out his own systems to provide athletes all they could ever need in the soccer world, setting himself up to capitalize from all angles.
Though still relatively new to the business world, Villa's ventures hold significant potential, especially as soccer continues to expand in the United States, and it will be exciting to see how his businesses evolve alongside the sport.
I am a very optimistic person. I don’t know if it is because I’ve come up right from the bottom, but I am someone who always thinks you can make things better.
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