Lionel Messi buys Catalan soccer club who helped develop David Raya, Jordi Alba

Lionel Messi has purchased UE Cornella, the Catalan club who play in the fifth tier of Spanish football.

UE Cornella are from Cornella de Llobregat, a 20-minute drive to the south-west of Barcelona, and play their games at a ground next to La Liga team Espanyol’s home, the RCDE Stadium, which is in the same municipality.

They have helped develop players including Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, Messi’s former Barcelona and Inter Miami team-mate Jordi Alba and current Barca defender Gerard Martin.

A statement from UE Cornella said the move highlighted Messi’s “commitment to the development of sport and local talent in Catalonia”. It referred to the Messi Cup, the youth tournament set up by the 38-year-old Argentina star, which was held for the first time in Miami in December and featured Barcelona, Manchester City and Chelsea among other clubs.

MESSI COMPRA LA UE CORNELLÀ 🇦🇷

Solo hay 15 metros entre su estadio y el del RCD Espanyol 📸 pic.twitter.com/E3wiOMexwu

— DAZN Fútbol (@DAZNFutbol) April 16, 2026

Cornella have never played higher than Spain’s third tier but have long been known for their prolific academy in a region which is usually dominated by Barcelona and Espanyol.

Messi is Barcelona’s record appearance maker and scorer, having scored 672 goals in 778 games for the club from 2004-2021. He left on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain as Barca experienced financial problems, before joining Major League Soccer side Inter Miami in 2023.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has since scored 83 goals in 96 games for the Florida side, winning them the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and the MLS Cup last year.

The 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina is expected to star at this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, although he has yet to officially state that he will play.