Lionel Messi has bought Catalan club Cornellà and become the team's new owner, the Spanish fifth-tier side announced on Thursday.
The Spanish lower-division club is based just outside Barcelona, the city where the Argentine star made his name.
Cornellà is a 75-year-old club in its namesake city in the Barcelona metropolitan area and plays in Spain’s fifth division. While Messi, one of football’s all-time greats, has no direct links to the team, he moved to Barcelona at the age of 12 to join FC Barcelona.
Messi’s investment puts him back into competition with his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who bought a stake in Spanish club UD Almería in February. Their rivalry on the pitch, one of the greatest in sports history, has led to 13 Ballon d’Ors, nine Champions League titles and numerous international trophies between them.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is still playing in the United States for Inter Miami and is expected to play a key role in Argentina's World Cup title defence this year.
"This move reinforces Messi's close ties to Barcelona and his commitment to the development of sport and local talent in Catalonia," the club, which goes by the full name of Unión Esportiva Cornellà, said in a statement confirming the former Barcelona star's acquisition.
Cornellà has spent most of its existence in Spain’s lower leagues. Founded in 1951, the club was in the fourth tier of Spanish football or below until 2014, when it was promoted. A tough few years has seen the club fall to the regional leagues.
Despite playing in a stadium that holds just 1,500, the club has a strong youth system due to its location. Jordi Alba spent two years at the club, before eventually ending up at Barcelona as Messi's teammate and becoming one of the best full-backs of his generation. Other former players include David Raya and Gerard Martín.
Cornellá, which was founded in 1951 and has a stadium with a capacity of just a few thousand spectators, have suffered back-to-back relegations in the past two seasons.
"Leo Messi's arrival marks the beginning of a new chapter in the club's history, aimed at driving both sporting and institutional growth, strengthening its foundations, and continuing to invest in talent," Cornellá added. "The project is guided by a long-term vision and a strategic plan that combines ambition, sustainability, and a strong connection to its local roots."
Messi came through Barcelona's academy before spending 17 seasons in the Catalan giants' first team, becoming their all-time leading scorer with 672 goals.
The 38-year-old has previously said he would return to live in Catalonia after he retires from football.
He is set to play in his sixth World Cup when Argentina start their title defence at the tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada against Algeria in Kansas on June 16.
Messi has been expanding his commercial activities in recent years. In 2024, he listed his Spanish real-estate investment trust Edificio Rostower Socimi in a small Spanish index. The company owns hotels and residential buildings and has a market valuation of 243 million euros.
Although it’s rare for active or retired players to invest in clubs in Spain, two of Messi’s former teammates at Barcelona have acquired stakes in recent years. Gerard Piqué is the controlling shareholder in FC Andorra, which plays in Spanish leagues, and Cesc Fàbregas owns a stake in Italy’s Como 1907, where he is also the head coach.
Messi is also involved in two other clubs: Leones de Rosario, which was founded by his family and is based in his hometown of Rosario, playing in the third tier; and amateur side Deportivo LSM in Uruguay, which he founded with his friend, fellow footballer Luis Suárez.
He also has the option to become a co-owner of his current side, Inter Miami, when he retires from professional football in his current contract, according to reports.
Messi joined Inter Miami in a surprise move in 2023 after leading Argentina to the World Cup the previous year. The sidei is now he most valuable MLS franchise and counts former England star David Beckham among its shareholders.
Details of Messi’s Inter contract aren’t public but last month Jorge Mas, the club’s owner, said that he’s paid between US$70 million to US$80 million a year, including compensation and equity rights.
– TIIMES/AFP/NA/BLOOMBERG
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