L. Messi

Lionel Messi has already made an impact on social media less than a week after purchasing UE Cornella, pushing the club toward the top 10 most-followed teams in La Liga. Lionel Messi‘s recent acquisition of UE Cornella has extended his influence well beyond the pitch, drawing widespread attention to the fifth-division club. One of the most striking consequences has played out in the digital space, with Cornella now closing in on the top 10 most-followed teams in La Liga on social media. The news broke on Thursday, March 16, when Cornella released a statement confirming Messi’s takeover of the club. “With this operation, Messi strengthens his close ties to Barcelona and his commitment to the development of sport and local talent in Catalunya,” part of the statement on the club’s official website read. Before the announcement, Cornella’s Instagram account had amassed around 40,000 followers, a respectable figure for a fifth-tier side. In less than a week, however, that number had exploded past the half-million mark, with the account now sitting at 592,000 followers, more than ten times its pre-announcement total. To put the scale of Messi’s digital impact into perspective, Cornella have already built a following larger than every club in the second tier and several teams currently competing in La Liga. The club has surpassed Deportivo Alaves (240K), Levante UD (371K), Rayo Vallecano (376K), Real Oviedo (388K), CA Osasuna (410K), Elche CF (472K), RCD Mallorca (489K), RCD Espanyol (549K) and even Getafe CF (565K), with only Celta de Vigo (669K) and Girona (1.1M) still ahead of them among the smaller La Liga clubs. UE Cornella’s Instagram account. Top 10 most-followed La Liga teams on Instagram Real Madrid — 182M Barcelona —147M Atlético de Madrid — 18M Sevilla — 3.6M Real Betis — 3M Villarreal — 1.7M Valencia — 1.4M Athletic Bilbao — 1.6M Real Sociedad — 1.2M Girona — 1.1M Media setting their eyes on UE Cornella With just three games remaining in the regular season and currently sitting thrid with 56 points in 31 games, Cornella are expected to push for automatic promotion and a jump to the fourth division. But Messi’s involvement has also made the club a subject of significant media interest. In the first match played since the announcement, a 1-1 draw against Fundacio Esportiva Grama at the Nou Municipal de Cornella this past Sunday, the club saw a noticeable uptick in both attendance and press coverage. According to Mundo Deportivo, the number of accredited media outlets present rose from the usual three to 15, a vivid illustration of just how dramatically Messi’s name has transformed the profile of this small Catalan club.

Breaking the record previously set against LAFC, Lionel Messi has set another MLS attendance record in the game between Colorado Rapids and Inter Miami. Lionel Messi was once again the center of attention on Saturday, both for his performance on the pitch and for drawing tens of thousands of fans to yet another away game, just as he did on Matchday 1 against LAFC. This time, the Inter Miami star helped set a new away attendance record in MLS history at Empower Field at Mile High against the Colorado Rapids. To celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary, the Colorado Rapids relocated their home match against Inter Miami from Dick’s Sporting Goods Park to Empower Field at Mile High, the home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos and the Rapids’ former home ground. In a 3-2 result that featured a Messi brace, the Herons secured all three points, but the occasion was equally notable as another landmark moment in the league’s ongoing growth. A record crowd was anticipated well ahead of kickoff, and the fans delivered, with 75,824 spectators filling Empower Field at Mile High to watch the Rapids take on Inter Miami. The figure stands as the largest attendance ever recorded at a Colorado Rapids home match and vaulted the game to second place on the all-time list of highest single-game attendances in MLS history. In a notable subplot, the crowd also surpassed the record set earlier this season when LAFC relocated their home match against Inter Miami to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That Son Heung-min vs. Lionel Messi showdown drew 75,673 fans, a mark that has now been bumped to third on the all-time list. Colorado soccer history made‼️ pic.twitter.com/btswFAmsAQ — Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) April 18, 2026 The figure also came remarkably close to the all-time attendance record at Empower Field at Mile High across all sports. That benchmark belongs to an NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the Green Bay Packers on October 29, 2007, when the Packers claimed a 19-13 victory in front of 77,160 fans, just over 1,300 more than the crowd that packed the stadium last weekend. Messi drawing fans beyond traditional soccer venues Empower Field at Mile High is the latest in a growing list of non-soccer venues that have hosted Inter Miami specifically to accommodate the surge in demand surrounding Messi. Several MLS clubs have already made stadium moves this season to maximize their opportunity to host the Argentine superstar. Beyond Colorado and LAFC, D.C. United and New York City FC have also relocated their home matches against Inter Miami to larger venues. The Black-and-Red moved their game to M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, drawing a crowd of 72,026, while New York City shifted their match to Yankee Stadium, which attracted 45,845 fans. Top 5 highest single-game attendances in MLS history According to MLS, the five largest crowds in the league’s history are as follows: LA Galaxy vs. LAFC (July, 2023) — 82,110 fans Colorado Rapids vs. Inter Miami (April, 2026) — 75,824 fans LAFC vs. Inter Miami (February, 2026) — 75,673 fans Charlotte FC vs. LA Galaxy (March, 2022) — 74,479 fans Atlanta United vs. Portland Timbers (December, 2018) — 73,019 fans

Inter Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos offered an unexpected take on Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi scored a brace in Inter Miami’s 3-2 win over Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer on Saturday, a result that proved key in climbing the Eastern Conference standings. It also earned him unusual praise from interim manager Guillermo Hoyos. Asked about Messi’s performance during the postgame press conference, Hoyos was clear: “Messi is the best player. The best coach in the world is on the pitch. We have the best player in history who changes the course of matches and a team that gave everything football-wise. We have the magic that God gave to our number 10.” In that sense, Hoyos not only highlighted Messi’s performance and importance in the win over Colorado Rapids, but also downplayed his own influence on the team’s success. He took over on an interim basis following Javier Mascherano’s sudden resignation earlier this week and delivered a victory in his first match in charge in MLS. “This result means a continuity of what was being done,” Hoyos said. “The team is the MLS champion, it is a solid team, it competes with great clubs, but it is very important to play in front of so many people.” Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF reacts with Hamzat Ojediran #8 of Colorado Rapids. Messi has ruled out becoming a coach Guillermo Hoyos’ comments about Lionel Messi’s role as a coach should obviously be interpreted symbolically. The forward continues to make his impact on the field, guiding his teammates with his talent and experience and, in doing so, making the manager’s job easier. However, Messi has made it clear that he has no intention of pursuing a coaching career once he retires. In fact, he has said that, among the potential roles he could take on after his playing days, that is the least likely. “As a coach, I honestly don’t see myself in that role,” Messi admitted in an interview earlier this year with Argentine streaming channel LuzuTV. “I like the idea of being a sporting director, but if I have to choose one, I prefer being an owner.” Potential future coaches for Inter Miami While Guillermo Hoyos’ debut as Inter Miami manager was a success with the 3-2 win over Colorado Rapids in MLS, it seems unlikely that his interim stint will turn into a permanent role. In fact, in the days following Javier Mascherano’s resignation, several names have been linked to the Herons. Spanish outlet Marca reports that Xavi Hernandez is the leading candidate, given his close relationship with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Another former Barcelona manager of Messi’s, Ernesto Valverde, has also been mentioned after recently announcing he will leave Athletic Club at the end of the current La Liga season. Other reports include Argentine managers such as Matias Almeyda, Marcelo Gallardo, Hernan Crespo, and Martin Palermo.

Both soccer legends are closing in on the legendary record. Who is closer? Leer

Argentine forward's brace included the match winner against Colorado Rapids in front of over 75,000 fans in Denver.

Lionel Messi scored a brace as Inter Miami sealed a thrilling 3-2 victory against Colorado Rapids on Saturday. It marked the first victory for new manager Guillermo Hoyos, who replaced Javier Mascherano a few days ago. Mascherano stunned the fans with a shock departure on Tuesday, just four months after leading the club to its […]

It was he first win for Inter Miami since the departure of its coach Javier Mascherano, who left the club citing personal reasons. The club is unbeaten since its defeat in its league-opener.

We're tracking Lionel Messi's goals and top moments for Inter Miami and the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Here's the latest.

Lionel Messi gifted Inter Miami’s new coach a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids with a brace including a spectacular late winner in front of 75,000 Major League Soccer fans on Saturday. Shifted to Denver’s giant NFL stadium to accommodate the huge demand to see Argentina’s World Cup-winning icon, the game appeared to be drifting […] The post Messi scores winner as Miami down Colorado on coach debut appeared first on Soccer America.

Lionel Messi had two goals, including a stunning 79th-minute winner, to give Inter Miami a victory in new interim coach Guillermo Hoyos' first match in charge Saturday.