Lionel Messi Agrees to Buy 100% of CD Eldense in Stunning New Football Venture

The Argentine superstar is moving beyond his playing career and into club ownership, with the proposed takeover set to make him the sole owner of the Alicante-based side.

The agreement has been reported by multiple Spanish sources, with the final completion still dependent on legal and contractual procedures, including approval from Spain's High Council for Sports.

If completed, Eldense would become Messi's second Spanish football investment in 2026.

Messi takes control of another Spanish club

Messi's lawyers have been negotiating with the Colombian investment group TH, led by Juan Carlos Trujillo, which currently owns Eldense.

Reports indicate that Messi has agreed in principle to purchase the group's entire stake, meaning the 39-year-old would take complete control of the club once the remaining procedures are concluded.

The deal is therefore not yet formally complete, but the agreement represents a significant step towards Messi becoming the owner of a professional Spanish football club.

Eldense currently compete in Segunda División, Spain's second tier, making this a substantially different level of operation from Messi's earlier investment.

Messi already owns Cornellà

The Eldense move follows Messi's acquisition earlier this year of UE Cornellà, a Catalan club playing in the lower divisions of Spanish football.

That means Messi is rapidly building a portfolio of football interests in Spain while continuing his playing career with Inter Miami.

The Eldense takeover would, however, mark his first ownership of a professional club in Spain's national professional divisions.

The geographical connection is also notable.

Eldense are based in Elda, Alicante, while Cornellà are located in Catalonia, giving Messi football interests in two different parts of Spain.

Eldense's difficult start adds another layer

Messi would be taking control of Eldense at a particularly interesting moment.

The club have made a difficult start to the current Segunda División campaign and were sitting 20th with two points after four matches, having drawn twice and lost twice.

The poor opening has already resulted in a managerial change, with Claudio Barragán dismissed after the team's slow start.

That gives Messi's proposed takeover an immediate sporting challenge.

Rather than simply inheriting an established side competing near the top of the division, the Argentine would be arriving at a club that needs to improve its results.

A new chapter in Messi's football career

Messi remains an active player with Inter Miami, but his growing involvement in club ownership suggests he is already building a future beyond his playing career.

The Eldense agreement follows his Cornellà purchase and represents a much larger step into professional football ownership.

It also puts one of the most famous players in football history directly behind a Spanish club competing to establish itself at the second level.

The potential impact on Eldense could extend well beyond the pitch, with Messi's global profile capable of giving the club an enormous increase in international attention.

The takeover is not quite official yet

Despite the reports of an agreement in principle, Messi is not technically the completed owner of Eldense yet.

The remaining legal and contractual procedures must be completed, with the transaction also requiring approval from Spain's High Council for Sports.

But the direction of travel is clear.

Lionel Messi is closing in on becoming the sole owner of CD Eldense — and his football ambitions in Spain are getting considerably bigger.