The official Corinthians website was hacked and used to publish a false announcement claiming Lionel Messi would join the Brazilian club from Inter Miami in 2027.
The fabricated statement caused surprise among Corinthians supporters and included supposed details of the deal, as well as comments falsely attributed to the Argentina forward about his happiness at the prospect of playing in Brazilian football.
Hackers also published fictional financial information intended to explain how Corinthians could afford a move for the former Barcelona player, despite the high cost of signing him from Inter Miami.
The announcement was removed shortly after the club discovered the breach. The website was then replaced with a notice saying the platform was undergoing maintenance, after a number of fans had seen the fake news.
Corinthians later confirmed in an official statement that its digital platforms had been targeted in a cyber-attack. The club said its information technology team had contained the incident quickly, with no financial losses or leaks of institutional data or private information.
As a precaution, Corinthians said it would strengthen the security protocols protecting its digital platforms. The club’s official website and the website of its stadium, Neo Quimica Arena, were taken offline temporarily for technical checks before being brought back into service.
The incident came only a few hours after Corinthians beat Mirassol 2-0 in the 33rd round of the Brazilian league. The victory was not enough to lift the team out of the relegation zone, with Corinthians remaining among the bottom four clubs in the table.
Messi and Inter Miami are listed to face New England Revolution in MLS on 01 November 2026.
Corinthians are scheduled to play Sao Paulo in the Brazilian league on 04 November 2026.
The hack was not the first similar incident involving one of Sao Paulo’s two major clubs. Palmeiras, Corinthians’ historic rivals, had also seen its official website attacked in a comparable incident a few days earlier.
