Key Takeaways
- Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi now owns fifth-tier Spanish club Cornella.
- The 38-year-old says the deal keeps him linked to Catalonia after shining for Barcelona.
- Cornella, a 1 500-seat stadium, produced stars David Raya and Jordi Alba.
Lionel Messi has stepped off the pitch and into the boardroom by buying Catalan minnows Cornella.
The World-Cup-winning captain, who lifted four Champions League trophies and 10 La Liga crowns with Barcelona, paid to take full control of the regional-league side. Cornella sit in Spain’s fifth tier and play home matches at a ground that holds only 1 500 fans.
In a short statement the club said Messi “has finalised the purchase” and wants to “back sport and young talent in Catalonia”. Officials promised fresh money for the academy and better training facilities.
Messi, 38, left Argentina for Barcelona aged 13 and scored a record 672 goals for the first team before moving to Paris St-Germain and later Inter Miami. His new project keeps him tied to the area where he built his career.
Former Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo took a 25% share in second-tier Almería earlier this year, adding to a trend of ex-superstars snapping up Spanish teams. Cornella hope the link with Messi will lift their profile and help uncover the next David Raya or Jordi Alba, both youth products of the modest outfit.