Lionel Messi has reached an agreement in principle to acquire Spanish second-tier club CD Eldense, potentially adding another Spanish football club to the Argentine superstar’s growing investment portfolio.
The proposed takeover is subject to the completion of due diligence and approval from Spain’s High Council for Sports (CSD), meaning the transaction has not yet been formally completed. Spanish outlet AS and Reuters reported that Messi’s representatives have been negotiating with Colombian investment group TH, which currently owns the club.
If the deal is completed, Messi is expected to become the majority or controlling shareholder of Eldense, marking his first ownership of a professional Spanish football club.
Eldense, based in the city of Elda in Alicante, was founded in 1921 and has spent most of its history outside Spain’s top two divisions. The club returned to the second tier in 2023 before suffering relegation in 2025 and subsequently returning to the division this year.
The club’s current season has started poorly. Eldense have collected only two points from their opening four matches, a run that led to the dismissal of manager Claudio Barragán earlier this week. The club is currently without a permanent manager.
Eldense play their home matches at the Nuevo Pepico Amat, a stadium with a capacity of about 5,800 spectators.
The proposed acquisition would give Messi two football investments in Spain.
Earlier this year, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner acquired UE Cornellà, a club based near Barcelona that competes in Spain’s fifth tier. Cornellà announced Messi’s acquisition in April, describing the project as one focused on sporting and institutional development as well as the development of young talent.
The difference in the level of the two clubs is significant. While Cornellà operate in the lower levels of the Spanish football pyramid, Eldense compete in the country’s professional second division.
Messi also has football ownership interests outside Spain. He is involved with Uruguayan club Deportivo LSM alongside his former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez.
The Eldense transaction would therefore represent a further step in Messi’s move into football ownership while he remains an active player with Inter Miami.
However, the proposed deal still requires regulatory approval and completion of the necessary legal and financial checks before Messi can officially take control of the Spanish club.
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