Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi has officially ventured into football club ownership, completing a 100% takeover of the Spanish side UE Cornellà.

The announcement, made on Thursday, April 16, 2026, marks a significant return to the Catalan landscape for the Argentine icon, who spent over two decades in the region during his legendary career with FC Barcelona.

UE Cornellà, based just outside Barcelona, currently competes in the Tercera Federación (the fifth tier of the Spanish football league system) following back-to-back relegations. Despite its current lower-league status, the club is renowned for its elite youth academy, which has served as a talent nursery for stars like Arsenal’s David Raya and Messi’s current Inter Miami teammate, Jordi Alba.

In an official statement, the club described the acquisition as the start of a “new chapter” focused on institutional growth and long-term sustainability. “This move reinforces Messi’s close ties to Barcelona and his commitment to the development of sport and local talent in Catalonia,” the club stated. The project aims to leverage the club’s prestigious youth structure to elevate the team back through the ranks of Spanish professional football.

While Messi continues his active playing career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and prepares for international duty with Argentina, this solo investment mirrors a growing trend of elite players entering ownership. He joins the likes of Kylian Mbappé and N’Golo Kanté in acquiring European clubs, though his choice of Cornellà emphasizes a deeply personal connection to the region where his footballing journey first began.