For the first time since they left Spain, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both found their way back into Spanish football, not as players but as club owners, placing themselves on different rungs of the same league ladder and opening up the possibility that their paths could cross again once their playing careers are done. Right now, they could hardly be further apart on the pitch. Messi is in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, while Ronaldo is in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, both well into the closing stretch of careers that once ran side by side in La Liga. That distance is exactly why these moves have drawn attention, because they quietly bring them back into the same football structure where that rivalry was built in the first place.
Messi takes full control of Cornellà in Catalonia
This comes as Messi has taken full ownership of UE Cornellà, a fifth-tier club based near Barcelona, buying a 100 per cent stake and returning to a region that defined his career. The club confirmed the deal by stating that “eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Leo Messi has formalised the acquisition of the club,” and set out the direction of the project, describing it as “the beginning of a new chapter in the club’s history” with a focus on growth, stability and investment in talent, adding that it will be guided by “a long-term vision… with a strong connection to its local roots.”Cornellà play in the Tercera Federación and operate on a smaller scale, with a 1,500-capacity ground, but they have a recognised academy, with players such as David Raya and Jordi Alba coming through the system. Messi, 38, continues to play for Inter Miami and is under contract until 2028, but the move gives him a direct role in Spanish football beyond his playing career.
Ronaldo invests in Almería as promotion push continues
Ronaldo’s move comes at a higher level. In February, Cristiano Ronaldo acquired a 25 per cent stake in UD Almería through his CR7 Sports Investments company, stepping into a club already competing near the top of the Segunda División. At the time, he said, “I have long had the ambition to contribute to football beyond the pitch.” Almería are currently in the top three and remain firmly in the promotion race, sitting two points behind leaders Racing Santander after 27 matches. Relegated from La Liga in 2024, they are pushing for a quick return to the top division.
Separate divisions now, but inside the same system again
There is a clear gap between the two clubs at the moment. UE Cornellà are in the fifth tier, working to move up, while UD Almería are close to returning to La Liga, and that gap could widen if promotion is secured this season.Even so, both are now inside the same promotion and relegation structure in Spanish football, where movement between divisions is constant, which is what keeps the possibility open, even if it sits a few years away rather than immediately in front of them. Messi’s involvement is tied to a long-term build at a lower level, while Ronaldo’s is connected to a team already positioned near the top.
From El Clásico to ownership, the connection remains
Messi and Ronaldo are still active players, but both have now taken steps that extend beyond their time on the pitch. For fans who followed their rivalry in Spain, the idea of them being linked again, even in this different way, carries its own interest. They are no longer facing each other every week, and their careers have taken them in different directions, but through these moves, both have returned to the same football landscape where that rivalry once played out, this time with their names attached to clubs rather than teams built around them.
