Messi purchases lower-division soccer club in Barcelona

BARCELONA: (Apr 17)   Lionel Messi is the owner of a fifth-division soccer club in Spain after the Argentine superstar acquired Barcelona-based UE Cornellà.

Messi was the best player of his generation during his two decades at FC Barcelona, where he won multiple titles and Ballon d’Or awards before leaving in 2021.

Cornellà is a modest club in a working-class neighborhood. The club announced the deal on Thursday without giving details of the purchase.