Former UnitedHealth Group CEO Dr. Bill McGuire is known for his controversially deep pockets. And he's hopeful that money can help him build a soccer empire in Minnesota.

McGuire is teaming up with other Minnesota sports moguls to bring a Major League Soccer team to Minneapolis. McGuire already owns Minnesota United FC, a soccer squad he bought in 2012 that has attained success in the lower-level North American Soccer League.

Major League Soccer has plans to grow, and Minneapolis has been put on the short list of cities for an expansion team. McGuire is competing against the owners of the Minnesota Vikings for the rights to a franchise. He is hoping the construction of a soccer-only, outdoor stadium will help boost his and the city's chances.

However, no concrete plans have been made for a stadium, and it's uncertain if McGuire would ask the state government for subsidies to help fund it.

“If we want to be serious about soccer in our community and our state ... (we need a) facility that is built for the game and the fans of the game,” McGuire said in a December Star Tribune report. MLS won't make a decision for the next expansion team until next year.

Although McGuire's current pursuits involve corner kicks and goals, those in healthcare are more familiar with his 15-year history at UnitedHealth—a tenure that ultimately ended with a red card.

McGuire left the insurer in late 2006 after he was caught up in a massive corporate compensation scandal. McGuire and others were accused of backdating stock options to maximize personal profits.

He ultimately returned more than $600 million in stock options and compensation, and UnitedHealth settled several class-action lawsuits.