Ex-US soccer star joins Russell Westbrook in $1bn project to revive beloved team with new stadium by 2028

Feb 20, 2026 - 14:00

Jozy Altidore has joined the group behind bringing a United Soccer League (USL) franchise to Oklahoma City.

Thunder icon Russell Westbrook is already part of the project, headed by financial firm Echo and CEO Christian Kanady, which will be part of the USL, the second-highest level of professional soccer in the U.S., below MLS.

Populous has unveiled plans for the 10,000-seat arena to be opened in 2028 in Oklahoma City[/caption]

The soccer team is part of a $1 billion investment in an entertainment district.

Former USMNT star Altidore, who also played in the Premier League for Hull City and Sunderland, and his longtime business partner Alex Lee were delighted to be invited to add their experience.

“The alignment with Christian and Echo was really important for me, looking at what they’re trying to do in a city that means so much to them,” he said. “As a player, you see what works and what doesn’t in development and youth development, and this gives us a chance to build something from the very start.”

Oklahoma City’s previous USL team played at ageing Taft Stadium and paused operations in 2022 after it failed to meet new requirements.

The new venue will have over 10,000 seats and be up to MLS standards thanks to $121 million of public money.

A new $1 billion arena for the Thunder is also being paid for by the city, with a 2028 opening expected.

The mixed-use development will include retail and hospitality experiences, a music campus and green spaces.

Russell Westbrook moves into stadium design

Westbrook, who won the 2017 NBA MVP award with Oklahoma City, invested in 2024 and has been involved in the design process.

“This is a city with a population on the rise, diverse, well run, well capitalized, and then lastly, a sports city,” Kanady said. “What we are building with Jozy [answers the question of] how do you take college football and the NBA, and add a third love language of sport, all kind of clustered in a downtown area.”

Altidore retired from soccer in 2023 following after an 18-year pro career.

The stadium would be eligible to host MLS games[/caption]

Thunder legend Russell Westbrook is looking ahead to a life off the court[/caption]

Oklahoma City could have a new sports and entertainment hub[/caption]

At club level, he joined Spanish side Villarreal from New York Red Bulls in 2008 for a fee of $10 million.

Altidore joined Premier League club Hull City for the entire 2009–10 season, and later played for Sunderland, netting just once in 42 appearances for the club.

He returned to MLS with Toronto FC in 2015, playing in Canada for six seasons before joining the New England Revolution in 2022, the last year he played.

The 36-year-old also scored 42 international goals — third-most all-time behind Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.

He linked up with Kanady in 2025 and have partnered on a project that means a lot to Altidore.

“I wanted to be really delicate with the project that I chose to do stateside, being my background as an American soccer player,” he said. “I wanted to do something that had a sense of a differentiator in a lot of ways.”

Jozy Altidore — Altidore has a growing business portfolio with various sports franchises

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Altidore became an equity partner in the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 2024.

He has also invested in TGL/TMRW Sports, SailGP and the NWSL with Bay FC.

He also acts as chief strategy officer for Sogility — a company that runs youth soccer facilities. Lee is the company’s CEO.

Echo is set to come aboard as an investor in Sogility and will use its training methodology in the Oklahoma City teams.

Westbrook was selected by the Seattle Supersonics with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and six days later he was already on another team after the relocation.

By the time he left for the Houston Rockets in 2019, he had three triple-double seasons, an MVP award, and was a two-time NBA Scoring Champion.

Now with the Sacramento Kings, the 37-year-old has made almost $350 million in his NBA career.

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