Lionel Messi puts family in the spotlight as he prepares for new challenge at Cornella

Lionel Messi has appeared in Cornella’s green-and-white shirt alongside his three sons after becoming the owner of the Catalan club, adding a high-profile touch to their preparations for the new season.

The Inter Miami forward was pictured with Thiago, Mateo and Ciro wearing the team’s colours. The images were shared by Cornella on the club’s official X account, highlighting Messi’s connection with the Spanish side despite continuing his playing career in the United States.

Messi decided in April to follow several of his professional colleagues by becoming the new owner of Cornella. The move gave the Catalan club an association with one of the most recognisable figures in world football, and his latest appearance has brought further attention to the team ahead of the start of their campaign.

Cornella accompanied the photographs with a message written in Catalan:

“Leo Messi i la seva familia ja estan preparats per a l’inici de temporada. 💚De Cornella al mon, cada cop som mes vestint de verd com en Leo i amb ganes d’arrencar el nostre gran repte.Som-hi,@ue_cornella!”

The post conveyed the club’s excitement at beginning the season with Messi and his family visibly associated with the team. It also presented the relationship between the former Barcelona player and Cornella as extending from the Catalan club to a global audience, with supporters encouraged to share the team’s green colours.

Messi’s involvement with Cornella comes while he continues to make an impact on the pitch for Inter Miami. At the age of 39, the Argentina international remains capable of producing decisive performances, illustrated by his four-goal display in Inter Miami’s emphatic 7-1 victory over Montreal.

That performance provided another reminder of Messi’s continued influence as he balances his role at Inter Miami with his ownership position at Cornella. His appearance with Thiago, Mateo and Ciro also gave the Catalan club a distinctive way to promote its preparations for the season, with the family photographs quickly drawing attention through social media.

The latest pictures did not show Messi in isolation as a club owner, but alongside the three sons whose names were included in the club’s presentation of the occasion. Wearing Cornella’s colours, the family helped underline the club’s message that its new challenge is beginning with growing interest beyond Catalonia.

For Cornella, the association offers a direct link to Messi at a significant moment in the club’s calendar. For the Argentine, it represents another public display of his involvement with the team after taking ownership in April. Meanwhile, his goals for Inter Miami show that his responsibilities as a club owner have not taken him away from the leading role he continues to play on the field.