Alverca, a small Portuguese club historically overshadowed by Benfica, have rapidly climbed to the top flight of Portuguese football, aided by an ownership stake held by Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior. The club folded in 2005 after relegation but reformed, worked its way back up through the divisions, and secured back-to-back promotions to reach the top flight in 2025 – a rise their sporting director says reflects an ambition to be "gamechangers" in Portuguese football.

Vinícius Júnior became part of an investor group that bought Alverca in February 2025, with his agent Thassilo "Tata" Soares holding the majority stake while the player himself remains a "remote" but publicity-generating presence. Fellow Real Madrid player Eduardo Camavinga and musician Travis Scott also provide marketing and communications support. The takeover forced a squad rebuild, with a Portuguese-record 35 signings made in one season after the previous owners' conflicting ties to rivals Santa Clara required a sale; by the new season only one player from the prior campaign remained, joining a wider trend of footballers such as Thibaut Courtois, Kylian Mbappé, Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldo Nazário investing in clubs across Europe.