Lionel Messi has acquired Spanish fifth-tier team UE Cornella, the Catalonia-based club announced on Thursday, Reuters reported.
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.
