Hugo Varela is a global football executive, investor and dealmaker with over 25 years of experience operating at the highest levels of the football industry.

A former professional player, Hugo transitioned early into the business side of football, building a career across player transfers, club operations, international partnerships and strategic investments. Throughout his career, he has been directly involved in hundreds of international deals across Europe, South America, Asia and the United States.

He is widely recognized for his ability to structure and execute complex football transactions, including club acquisitions, sponsorship agreements and multi-club ownership platforms.

Key highlights include:

• Leading football operations at FC Girondins de Bordeaux, contributing to over $30M in player trading profits and a turnaround from 14th to 4th place (Champions League qualification position)

• Intermediating record-breaking sponsorship deals, including the largest in the history of Botafogo FR (Parimatch and VBET)

• Playing a key role in the acquisition and restructuring processes of clubs such as Málaga CF and Panathinaikos FC .

. Playing a role in the intermediation of acquisitions of clubs such as Charlton Athletic FC and Botafogo FR.

• Structuring international partnerships, including the naming rights agreement between the Portuguese Football League (LPFP) and Ledman Optoelectronic

• Developing global football projects across the US, Europe and Asia, including Benfica Soccer Schools in North America and strategic partnerships in China

Hugo is also actively involved in football investment strategies, advising on club acquisitions, multi-club ownership structures and the development of football-focused investment funds.

He combines deep industry knowledge with a global network across clubs, investors, leagues and players.

Fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French, Hugo is also an international speaker on football business, investment and global sports strategy.