Messi fever in Cornellà

A green shirt, with only the word Messi printed on it, hangs from a makeshift stall at the entrance to the Nou Estadi Municipal and confirms the news. Cornellà, one of the 27 cities in Barcelona’s industrial belt, with a population of nearly 100,000 and a clear socialist, working-class tradition – all three of its mayors since Spain’s return to democracy have belonged to that tradition – has been in the spotlight since Thursday, April 16, when it became official that the greatest player in Barcelona history, and perhaps in soccer history, as his eight Ballon d’Or awards attest, had bought UE Cornellà. Founded in 1951, the club plays in the Tercera RFEF and boasts one of the best youth academies in Spain.

“The bombshell of the year in Catalan soccer,” as fans keep calling it in the stands, caught almost everyone by surprise. Others, less so. Mayor Antonio Balmón spoke by video call with the entourage of the Argentine, who is still playing for Inter Miami. Although UE Cornellà’s capital is private, the facilities are municipal, so the city council had to be kept informed, as did Spain’s Higher Sports Council.

Cornellà is a sporting engine in Catalonia. The RCDE Stadium, Espanyol’s home for the past 17 years, sits directly behind UE’s facilities. A soccer wink: Messi’s new home is right in front of the home of his old neighbor and rival. About 650ft beyond the two fields, the spectacular International Tennis Center is developing national and international prospects, and even has agreements with China.

The picture is completed by an ideal setting for hiking and cycling in the Baix Llobregat region. More than 5,000 young people play sports in the city. Many of them do so in UE Cornellà’s youth setup, one of the great Catalan academies alongside Barcelona, Espanyol and Damm. The latest hero to emerge from that stadium is Gerard Martín, who represents all UE Cornellà’s values: humility, sacrifice and team spirit. David Raya, Jordi Alba, Aitor Ruibal and Puado are other illustrious names who once wore the green jersey.

Vicente is one of Cornellà’s oldest members. “I’d be number five or six, but I canceled my membership for a while...” His reflection is interesting and reveals one of the main concerns among supporters: the facilities. “Let it be noticeable that Messi is coming. Let Cornellà move up a division and, above all, let him fix this field, because it looks like a slum and it’s a disgrace. We even had to go to Palamós...”

Indeed, in the 2022-23 season, because the stadium did not meet regulations, UE Cornellà played as a tenant at the RCDE Stadium. But that lasted only one year. The club had to find another home. It went through Gavà and then moved to Palamós. Fans had to travel around 155 miles to watch their team. Absurd. “I don’t think that will happen again,” Vicente says hopefully.

Nothing explains the power of the Messi brand like social media. The club’s Instagram account has multiplied its following exponentially, soaring past half a million. This is not Leo’s first experience as an owner. In Argentina, he founded Leones FC in 2015, managed by his brother Matías. And in 2025, he joined Suárez in the Deportivo LSM adventure, a club playing in Uruguay’s Primera Divisional C, which already includes historic teams such as Bellavista. Its debut will be on April 27.

“Messi won’t be coming as a player, but as an owner. But he’s the best ever and his brand is global.”

Dimitar Belchev, aficionado

Managed by Ignasi Senabre, UE Cornellà are currently fighting in group 5 of the Tercera RFEF for promotion to the Segunda RFEF, where Barcelona Atlètic play. They are in the playoff places, with two notable names in the squad. One is goalkeeper Rubén Miño, because he once shared a dressing room with Messi. The other is center back Iván de la Peña, son of the “Little Buddha,” one of the great talents of Spanish soccer in the 1990s and now a players’ agent, with Gavi, Eric and Dro among his clients.

Dimitar Belchev is a Bulgarian based in Barcelona who grew up in Los Angeles and New York. He wears a Messi shirt signed by the Argentine through a third party. “I was in Los Angeles when Beckham arrived and it was a boom. Messi won’t come as a player, but as an owner. But he’s the best ever and his brand is global. Cornellà is already famous all over the world. I’m sure he’ll invest in youth soccer and build a great team,” explains Jimmy, one of the more colorful characters wandering around the Municipal de Cornellà, where the old Sunday morning soccer atmosphere still lingers. Family-friendly. Youth players in the stands, the youngest children busy drawing stories, and beer flowing back and forth from the stadium bar.

Messi has bought UE Cornellà from Francesc Espín, who had acquired a 73.8% stake from Francesc Manzano. Manzano left for Barcelona to work in youth soccer with José Ramón Alexanco and saw a clear conflict of interest with his new role.

Inter Miami’s social media numbers show the scale of the effect: before Messi, the club had 953,000 Instagram followers, 207,000 on Twitter and 1 million on X/TikTok. After Messi, those figures rose to 18.2 million, 1.3 million and 13 million respectively.

The Messi universe wants to take the new project slowly. Low profile, without exposing the players too much – they are not giving interviews – and with an acceptance that the purchase was completed relatively quickly, in a matter of months. The aim is to understand the club’s reality in depth, its tools and its growth possibilities. For now, Messi has already put Cornellà’s name on the world map. Making waves, as Estopa’s local boys might say.

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