Why Messi taking 100 per cent stake in UE Cornella matters
Lionel Messi’s purchase of Spanish fifth-tier side UE Cornella represents a broader trend of players seeing football assets as long-term investment opportunities, top football finance experts have said.
The Argentinian, who will be heading to the Fifa World Cup this year looking to defend the title he won in Qatar, will own 100 per cent of UE Cornella, based just outside of Barcelona.
He joins his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo in owning part of a Spanish team, with the Saudi-based Portuguese owning 25 per cent of Almeria, while Frenchman Kylian Mbappe holds shares in Ligue 2 club Caen.
“Lionel Messi moving into club ownership reflects a broader shift among elite players turning their on pitch earnings into long term football assets,” football finance expert Professor Rob Wilson told CityAM. “This provides a landscape where they can control operations, talent development and commercial strategy that can generate more stable returns than endorsements alone.
“It follows the path shaped by figures like David Beckham and signals a maturing investment mindset which will prioritise club value over short term monetisation.”
Messi making moves
Messi, who plays at Beckham’s Inter Miami, has shares in the MLS team and therefore has a multi-club position across global football.
UE Cornella said in a statement that Messi’s acquisition “marks the beginning of a new chapter in the club’s history”, adding that the new era will be “aimed at driving both sporting and institutional growth, strengthening its foundations, and continuing to invest in talent”.
The fifth-tier club added: “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”.
“Lionel Messi can move from dictating games to shaping institutions,” Professor added. “A quieter kind of control, but arguably the more powerful one. He was a cheat code on the pitch, if he invests in a club, the recipient will be hoping he’s a cheat code off it.”