Argentina superstar Lionel Messi is reportedly on the verge of acquiring the Spanish second-tier football club CD Eldense, marking another significant expansion of his growing sports investment portfolio.
According to reports from Spain, the Inter Miami forward has reached an agreement in principle to take control of the club by acquiring the shares currently held by its existing ownership group. The transaction is pending formal completion as it undergoes the necessary legal and regulatory procedures in Spain, which includes receiving mandatory approval from Spain’s High Council for Sports (CSD).
The preliminary agreement indicates that Messi will purchase the shares of Eldense from the Colombian investment group TH Soluciones Group S.A.S., which previously took control of the club in October 2025. If the transaction is finalized, Messi will become the owner of the professional Spanish club, giving him direct control over Eldense's future sporting and business operations.
While earlier reports suggested that Messi might be partnering with an investment group that included his former Barcelona teammates Andrés Iniesta and Carles Puyol, subsequent updates indicate that the Eldense takeover is a solo investment. Rubén Alfaro, the mayor of Elda, confirmed that Messi’s representatives had reached an agreement in principle to purchase the club, while noting that the deal still requires formal completion. The news has been welcomed locally due to the potential international exposure Messi's involvement could bring to both the club and the city.
About CD Eldense
CD Eldense is based in Elda, a city located in the Alicante province of eastern Spain. Although the club has spent the majority of its history competing outside the top tiers of Spanish football, it has experienced a resurgence in recent years, returning to the Segunda División and establishing itself in the second tier. This upward trajectory has increasingly drawn interest from investors looking to develop the club's position within the Spanish football system.
Messi’s potential arrival comes during a challenging period for the team on the pitch. Eldense has endured a difficult start to its current campaign and is currently positioned near the bottom of the Segunda División table. The club has collected only two points from its opening four league matches, recording two draws and two defeats. Following this poor start, the club recently parted ways with manager Claudio Barragán, meaning any new ownership group would inherit a team requiring immediate sporting and organizational attention.
Expanding Football Investments
The proposed takeover of Eldense is not Messi's first venture into Spanish club ownership. In April 2026, the Argentine forward acquired control of UE Cornellà, a club competing in the lower divisions of Spanish football. This latest deal represents a step up to the second division as Messi continues to build a business portfolio centered around the sport.
Messi's moves reflect a broader trend of prominent footballers establishing business and investment ventures during or immediately after their playing careers. A formal announcement of the Eldense takeover is expected once the remaining legal and regulatory processes in Spain are fully concluded.
Why It Matters
In Spain, most professional football clubs operate as Sociedades Anónimas Deportivas (SADs), a specialized public limited company structure introduced in the 1990s to allow private ownership and external investment. This regulatory framework enables wealthy individuals and investment groups to purchase controlling stakes in clubs, a distinct contrast to the traditional member-owned model retained by Spanish giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona. Messi's acquisition aligns with a growing global trend of elite active and retired athletes transitioning into club ownership, as seen with David Beckham's co-ownership of Inter Miami and Ronaldo Nazário's previous majority stake in Real Valladolid. These high-profile takeovers frequently leverage the global personal brands of the athletes to secure international sponsorships, media rights, and commercial growth for historically lower-profile clubs.
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