For the first time since leaving Spain, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both found a way to return to Spanish football, not as players but as club owners, placing themselves on different rungs of the same league ladder and opening the possibility that their paths could cross again once their playing careers end. At the moment, 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 in the final stages of their careers having once played together in La Liga. It is that distance that has made these moves so striking, as they quietly bring them back into the same football structure that created that rivalry in the first place.
Messi takes full control of Cornella in Catalonia
It comes as Messi has taken full ownership of fifth-tier club UE Cornella, based near Barcelona, ​​buying a 100 per cent stake and returning to the area that has defined his career. The club confirmed the deal, saying that “eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Leo Messi has formalized the takeover 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, sustainability and investment in talent, adding that it would be guided by “a long-term vision … that will keep strong ties to its local roots.”Cornella plays in the Tercera Federación and operates on a small scale with a 1,500-capacity ground, but they have a recognized academy, with players such as David Raya and Jordi Alba coming through the system. Messi, 38, will continue to play for Inter Miami and is under contract until 2028, but the move would give him a direct role in Spanish football beyond his playing career.
Ronaldo invests in AlmerÃa as campaign continues
Ronaldo’s move is of high level. In February, Cristiano Ronaldo acquired a 25 percent stake in UD AlmerÃa through his CR7 Sports Investments company, making a move to a club already competing near the top of the Segunda División. At the time, he said, “I have long had an ambition to contribute to football beyond the pitch.” AlmerÃa are currently in the top three and remain firmly in the promotion race, two points behind Racing Granada after 27 matches. After being relegated from La Liga in 2024, they are pushing for a quick return to the top division.
Now different departments, but again within the same system
There is a clear difference between the two clubs at the moment. UE Cornellà are in the fifth tier, working to move up, while UD Almeria are close to returning to La Liga, and the gap could widen if promotion is secured this season.Nevertheless, both are now inside the same promotion and demotion structure in Spanish football, where movement between divisions is constant, which keeps the possibility open, even if it is a few years away rather than right in front of them. Messi’s involvement is linked to long-term construction at the bottom, while Ronaldo’s involvement is linked to a team already situated near the top.
From El Clasico to ownership, the relationship remains
Messi and Ronaldo are still active players, but both have now made moves that extend beyond their time on the field. For fans who follow their rivalry in Spain, the idea of ​​reuniting them, even in this different way, holds its 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 the rivalry once played out, this time with their names attached to clubs rather than teams built around them.
