LIONEL Messi has acquired Spanish fifth-tier club UE Cornella, the Catalonia-based club announced last night.
Argentina World Cup winner Messi, who played 778 games and scored 672 goals for Barcelona before joining Paris St-Germain and Inter Miami, has taken over the Spanish club as part of a strategic effort to develop local talent in the region.
“This move reinforces Messi’s close ties to Barcelona and his commitment to the development of sport and local talent in Catalonia — a connection rooted in his years at FC Barcelona and sustained ever since,” Cornella said in a statement.
“Leo Messi’s arrival marks the beginning of a new chapter in the club’s history, aimed at driving both sporting and institutional growth, strengthening its foundations, and continuing to invest in talent.
“The project is guided by a long-term vision and a strategic plan that combines ambition, sustainability, and a strong connection to its local roots.”
Messi could have faced Cornella in the Copa del Rey in his final season at the Nou Camp but missed the tie due to a two-match suspension following the first red card of his Barcelona career in the Spanish Super Cup final against Athletic Bilbao.
Eight-times Ballon d’Or winner Messi led Inter Miami to their first MLS Cup last year.
Meanwhile, Messi is facing a lawsuit from a Miami-based event promoter that alleges the superstar breached a contract by failing to play in an exhibition match last year, according to court records filed on March 31.
VID Music Group last month filed claims of fraud and breach of contract against Messi and the Argentine Football Association in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, court records show. The lawsuit also names sports executive Julian Marcos Kapelan.
According to the complaint, VID signed an agreement with the AFA last summer granting it exclusive rights to organise and promote Argentina’s international friendlies in October against Venezuela and Puerto Rico, in exchange for ticketing, broadcast and sponsorship revenue.
The promoter says the deal required Messi to play at least 30 minutes in each match unless he was injured, with his participation “a central element of the match’s commercial value” and the “primary economic driver of the matches.”
The lawsuit accuses Messi of conspiring with Kapelan and the AFA “to engage in conduct” designed to induce VID into entering the contracts with AFA “under false pretences”. Messi is also accused of negligent misrepresentation.
The claims against the AFA include alleged negligent misrepresentation and breaches of contract relating to the match against Venezuela, the October fixture versus Puerto Rico, and two proposed matches that were scheduled to take place in the United States in June 2026 while Kapelan is accused of fraud.
Messi, 38, did not play in Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Venezuela on October 10, instead watching the match from a suite at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida, according to the lawsuit.
The following day, Messi started and scored twice for Inter Miami in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United.
He later appeared for Argentina in a 6-0 victory over Puerto Rico on October 14, recording two assists in a match that was also organised and promoted by VID, a game that was moved from Chicago and played at Inter Miami’s then home ground, Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
Reuters
