April 16, (THEWILL) — Football’s most decorated player has taken his first step into club ownership on Spanish soil, with Lionel Messi completing the full acquisition of UE Cornellà, a fourth-tier Catalan club based in the Baix Llobregat district south of Barcelona.
The club currently competes in Group V of the Tercera RFEF and is in contention for promotion this season. UE Cornellà has longstanding ties to Barcelona’s youth system, with players having moved between the two clubs across the years. The club plays its home fixtures at the Nou Camp Municipal in Cornellà de Llobregat.
Messi, who won eight Ballon d’Or titles during a career defined largely by his time at FC Barcelona before his departure in 2021, described himself in a statement as the new owner of the “Baix Llobregat institution.” The eight-time world player of the year maintains considerable business interests in Catalonia, including hotels and commercial properties that were listed on the Spanish stock exchange in late 2024.
The acquisition follows remarks made by the Argentine in January 2026, in which he spoke of a desire to own a club and develop it from its foundations once his playing career concludes. At 38, Messi continues to captain Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where he also holds a minority ownership stake. His move into outright club ownership in Spain differs notably from the approach taken by Cristiano Ronaldo earlier in 2026, when a Saudi-linked investment vehicle obtained a 25% share in UD Almería.
No details regarding investment levels, sporting strategy, or any potential connection to Inter Miami have been made public. UE Cornellà’s official channels had not independently confirmed the transaction, and Messi’s representatives had not issued commentary beyond the statements published by Spanish media. Formal completion of the ownership transfer with the Spanish football authorities is expected in the coming days.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
