Lionel Messi nears deal to acquire Spanish club Eldense

Lionel Messi, the greatest footballer most people will ever watch, is apparently not content with merely dominating the sport from the pitch. He wants to own a piece of it too.

The Argentine icon has reached a preliminary agreement to acquire 100% of CD Eldense, a club competing in Spain’s Segunda División, the country’s second tier of professional football. The deal would see Messi purchase the club from Colombian investment group TH Soluciones Group S.A.S., which took ownership of Eldense in October 2025.

From player to proprietor

This isn’t Messi’s first move into club ownership. He acquired UE Cornellà, a fifth-tier Spanish side, back in April 2026. Eldense represents a significant step up: a club with actual professional status, a century of history, and a fanbase that shows up to games.

Eldense, founded in 1921, plays at the Estadio Municipal Nuevo Pepico Amat, a ground with a capacity of 5,776 seats. The club boasts roughly 3,500 season-ticket holders, meaning on a good day the stadium is about 60% full. It recently earned promotion back to the Segunda División, Spain’s competitive second flight that serves as a launchpad for ambitious clubs eyeing the top tier.

One notable detail: Messi is going it alone. Despite the inevitable speculation, no former Barcelona teammates are involved in the deal. Messi will be the sole investor and owner, pending completion.

The transaction still needs to clear a couple of hurdles. Due diligence is ongoing, and Spain’s High Council for Sports, known as the CSD, must grant regulatory approval before anything becomes official.

Why Eldense, and why now

The club is based in Elda, a city in Alicante province with a population under 60,000.

Eldense recently sacked its manager following a stretch of poor results. That kind of instability typically depresses a club’s asking price while simultaneously creating an obvious narrative for a new owner: come in, reset the culture, build something.

For Eldense’s 3,500 season-ticket holders, the reaction has reportedly been cautious optimism. The Colombian group that currently owns the club has only held it since late 2025, meaning Eldense is about to experience its second ownership change in under a year.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.