Lionel Messi has added football club owner to his résumé, completing a 100 per cent takeover of UE Cornellà, a lower-league side based in Catalonia, Spain. The acquisition was confirmed on April 16, 2026, with the club announcing the news via its official channels.
The 38-year-old Inter Miami forward now holds full ownership of the club, which currently competes in Spain’s fifth tier. Cornellà are reportedly pushing for promotion back to the fourth division, making Messi’s involvement potentially significant for the club’s immediate sporting ambitions.
The geographical significance of the deal has not been lost on observers. Cornellà sits just a few miles from Camp Nou, the stadium where Messi spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona before departing in 2021. In an official statement published by UE Cornellà, the club framed the acquisition as a natural extension of Messi’s long-standing ties to the region: “This move reinforces Messi’s close ties to Barcelona and his commitment to developing sport and local talent in Catalonia.”
The club also characterised the ownership change as a landmark moment in its history, stating: “Leo Messi’s arrival marks the beginning of a new chapter, aimed at driving both sporting and institutional growth.”
Founded in 1951, UE Cornellà has established a credible record in youth development over its seven-decade history. Among the talents to have come through the club’s academy are goalkeeper David Raya, currently playing at the highest level of European football, and left-back Jordi Alba — a player who shared a dressing room with Messi at both Barcelona and, more recently, Inter Miami.
Messi’s move into club ownership reflects a broader trend among elite footballers transitioning into off-pitch football operations. Fellow global star LeBron James co-owns Liverpool FC through Fenway Sports Group, while figures such as David Beckham — who founded Inter Miami, the club where Messi currently plays — have demonstrated that player-turned-owner models can carry commercial and sporting weight.
For Messi, who is still an active player with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, the Cornellà acquisition represents a long-term investment in a region deeply connected to his personal and professional identity. Whether the ownership role will influence his post-playing career trajectory remains to be seen, but the structural significance of acquiring a 100 per cent stake — rather than a minority share — points to a hands-on approach to the project.
UE Cornellà’s fifth-tier status means the club operates well outside the spotlight of Spain’s top professional divisions, but the involvement of the most decorated footballer of his generation is likely to raise its profile considerably, both domestically and internationally.
