MADRID (AFP) - Argentina superstar Lionel Messi is to branch out into the leisure industry and launch an amusement park in China in 2019, his partners in the venture said on Thursday (June 1).

The Messi Experience Park will have more than 20 attractions spread out on a site covering more than 80,000 sq m in Nanjing.

The park will "immerse visitors in Messi's universe, combining the latest attractions with spaces to take part in the top sport", said audio-visual group Mediapro.

It will run the venture alongside Chinese television group Phoenix Group and the Barcelona forward's Leo Messi Management.