In October 2025, Lionel Messi extended his contract with Inter Miami until the end of 2028. However, he has not waited for his playing career to end to pursue other football ventures, and he is already deeply involved. Since 2015, the Messi family has owned a team in Messi's hometown, the club known as "La Pulga" (The Flea)—Rosario Central León FC. Some of his relatives still live in the city. The Argentina national team captain holds no official position at the club, but has always closely followed its development. This spring, he was spotted in Miami watching a León FC match on his phone.

It is truly a family affair: the club's president is Messi's older brother Matías, who is five years his senior, while his sister María Sol and nephew Tomás also hold executive positions. Many of Messi's old friends work there too, including vice president Juan Carlos Ricci. The club has developed steadily since its founding and has recently accelerated its progress. The team, originally based in the Alvear district south of Rosario, has now moved its home matches to the Arroyo Seco district, even further south, and plans to build its own professional stadium.

Rosario Central León FC, previously competing in regional leagues, joined the national league system in winter 2025. On September 11 of that year, the Executive Committee of the Argentine Football Association voted to grant the club direct admission to Primera C (the fourth division), bypassing the need to compete in the amateur promotion championship. This "direct qualification" sparked considerable controversy among other teams that had fought for promotion over many years.

Another controversial situation involves head coach Víctor Zapata, hired the previous autumn, who departed angrily over unpaid wages. The team is currently managed by Franco Ferrazo, sits in second place in its group, and hopes to advance to the third division. "The club's goal is to develop the team consistently. We are building a team style and developing a tactical system," said the head coach. Claudio Vivas, who was assistant coach to Marcelo Bielsa with the Argentina national team from 1998 to 2004, has endorsed this project.

Vivas is a native of Rosario, Argentina's third-largest city with a population of 1.2 million. His father, José Vivas, founded the Malvinas Youth Academy for Newell's Old Boys in the early 1980s, where Messi began his football career. "Their work is going very well right now, which is definitely good for Rosario," Vivas commented. "Rosario used to have only four clubs; now our football strength is greater. I think it is very important to have clubs like León FC in the region, and to have industry professionals involved in them."

The club's management rarely makes public statements, which has led to widespread speculation from outsiders. This stems largely from their cautious approach and turbulent past: several years ago, Spanish judicial authorities investigated transfers from Barcelona to the Messi Foundation for facilities benefiting Rosario Central León FC, suspecting money laundering and tax evasion. Ultimately, no violations were found and the case was closed.

Nevertheless, it is difficult to separate this club from the aura of Messi, "La Pulga." The latest development is that at the end of 2025, Banco Macro Argentina became the club's main sponsor, with Jorge Britto, the former president of River Plate, as the bank's president. Messi himself is also involved in several other football projects: last year he invested in a Uruguayan club owned by his friend Luis Suárez and his family since 2018. The team, originally called Deportivo La Coruña LS, was renamed Deportivo La Coruña LSM following Messi's investment. The team currently competes in the Uruguayan national league after winning the fourth division championship last year and now competing in the third division.

Recently, Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, fully acquired Unión Esportiva Cornellà, a club located near Barcelona, which currently competes in the fifth division of the Spanish league. Notable players to emerge from this club include Jordi Alba and David Raya. Messi's stated goal is to "nurture local young talent," meaning to develop a youth academy system. Does this hint at his direction after his playing career ends? It is worth noting that he will also receive a minority stake in Inter Miami after his contract expires.

Messi is currently still focused on his playing career and has never publicly planned his life after retirement. However, last December he held the inaugural Messi Cup in Florida, inviting under-16 youth teams from the 16 best clubs in the world. "I think this is his way of giving back to football," said Vivas. "When you have dedicated three or four decades of your life to football, it is natural to want to continue doing something in this field." In the future, he might even reunite on the football stage with Mbappé (who holds shares in AS Cannes) or Cristiano Ronaldo (who holds shares in Almería).

Переведено ИИ.

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