Messi helps his new club stay close to Barcelona

After taking ownership of UE Cornella, Lionel Messi's impact has been evident in the attraction of followers and revenue from merchandise.

The Municipal de Cornella de Llobregat stadium became the center of media and sports attention following the news that Lionel Messi completed the acquisition of Unio Esportiva Cornella (UE Cornella). According to local media, this information immediately created a phenomenon: the presence of international media, an unprecedented increase in social media followers, and pre-sales of the number 10 jersey bearing Messi's name.

The impact of Messi's arrival at the Catalan club is clearly reflected in the numbers. As reported by Mundo Deportivo, before the announcement, Cornella had around 40,000 followers on Instagram. After the deal, this number rose to over 600,000, surpassing First Division clubs like Espanyol, Getafe, and Mallorca. With these figures, the club also became the third most followed in Catalonia, behind only Barcelona and Girona.

Outside the stadium, Cornella jerseys printed with Messi's name and number 10 quickly appeared on the market priced at 40 Euros. However, fans can currently only pre-order, as the club hasn't yet mass-produced them, showing the rapid spread of this deal.

Reactions from fans and the community occurred immediately. According to Marca, shareholder Joel Pinteno shared: “When I saw the news, at first I thought it was AI-generated because it was hard to believe.” Another supporter, Cristina López, stated: “I believed it was true because my son, who plays in the club's youth teams, was informed during training.”

At the same time, Cornella's coach, Ignasi Senabre, shared his feelings: “Messi buying the club was surprising, but for me it's a great joy. Initially I didn't know if it was real, but then the club confirmed it. We should be happy that the greatest footballer in history is connected to Cornellà.”

During the match between Cornella and Fundacio Esportiva Grama, some children were seen at the stadium wearing Barcelona jerseys with Messi's name, while at stores, long queues formed to buy Cornella's blue jerseys with number 10 and Leo's name.

The match ended with a 1-1 score, partly reflecting the changing atmosphere at the club. Gonzalo Pereira was the first player to score for Cornella since the record Ballon d'Or winner arrived.

On the organizational side, the impact was also very clear. The Cornella de Llobregat city government issued a statement, evaluating this deal as a “significant event” for both the club and the locality.

The city council emphasized that this acquisition is an opportunity to enhance the city's external image and strengthen the club's social and training projects. Sources from the authorities indicated they were aware of the negotiation process and involved in matters related to stadium management and joint projects with the club.