Argentina football legend Lionel Messi has completed the purchase of UE Cornellà.

This development was confirmed in an official statement on Thursday. Messi has acquired full ownership of the Catalan club.

UE Cornellà currently competes in Group V of the Tercera RFEF, the fourth tier of Spanish football. The club sits third in their Tercera División group, five points behind leaders Manresa, with a playoff place already secured as they aim for promotion.

Messi joins a growing trend of footballers investing in club ownership. Recent examples include Cristiano Ronaldo, who has taken a stake in Almería, and Thibaut Courtois, who has invested in Le Mans.

The list also features Kylian Mbappé with S.M. Caen, Luka Modrić with Swansea, Héctor Bellerín with Forest Green Rovers, Gerard Piqué with FC Andorra, N’Golo Kanté with Royal Excelsior Virton, Sadio Mané with Bourges Foot 18, David Beckham with Inter Miami, and César Azpilicueta with Hashtag United.