Lionel Messi has become the new owner of Catalan club Cornella, currently in Spain’s fifth division.
The 38-year-old Inter Miami forward, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 and scored a record 672 goals for Barcelona, formalised the deal this week.
Cornella hailed the move as a “new chapter” that will strengthen its foundations and invest in local talent.
The takeover underlines Messi’s enduring ties to Catalonia and follows a wider trend of ex-stars buying into Spanish football, with Cristiano Ronaldo recently acquiring a stake in Almeria.
