Lionel Messi is reportedly preparing for another major step into football ownership, with the Argentina legend set to expand his business interests in Spain after making his first investment in the country’s lower leagues earlier this year.The move would give the 39-year-old a direct stake in Spanish professional football while also taking him closer to the country where he spent the vast majority of his playing career and where he is expected to live after eventually ending his time as an active player with Inter Miami.
Messi reportedly agrees deal to take full control of Eldense
According to Marca, Messi has reached an agreement in principle with the current owners of CD Eldense to acquire the Alicante-based club.The reports state that Messi would acquire 100 per cent of Eldense’s shares, meaning the investment would be made solely by the Argentine and would not involve partners, former players or other third parties.However, the agreement has not yet been completed.The deal is expected to be finalised in the coming days, provided the remaining legal and contractual formalities are completed. Those procedures include the necessary financial due diligence, while the proposed takeover will also require approval from the Spanish National Sports Council (CSD).The club is based in Elda, in Alicante province, and currently competes in LaLiga 2, Spain’s second division. Eldense were recently promoted to the Segunda División, also known as LaLiga Hypermotion, for the 2026–27 season after winning Group 2 of the Primera Federación in May 2026, according to reports. The club currently has around 3,500 season-ticket holders.The proposed acquisition would represent another piece of Messi’s emerging football business portfolio.Earlier in 2026, Messi acquired 100 per cent of the shares in UE Cornellà, a Catalan club competing in the Spanish third tier. That deal was announced in April, with Cornellà saying Messi’s arrival would begin “a new chapter in the club’s history” aimed at driving sporting and institutional growth, strengthening its foundations and continuing investment in talent.The project at Cornellà has placed particular emphasis on youth academy development and women’s football.The Eldense investment would take Messi’s involvement to a considerably higher level of the Spanish football pyramid, with the club competing in professional football.The reports suggest the motivation behind the project is Messi’s desire to invest his footballing legacy back into the game itself, with Eldense’s location also potentially fitting into his longer-term plans.Elda is in Alicante province and is relatively close to Catalonia, where Messi is expected to live after his playing career comes to an end.
Eldense takeover comes as club searches for new manager
Eldense was previously acquired by an international investment group with Colombian roots, led by businessman Juan Carlos Trujillo, who bought the club from Pascual Pérez in October 2015.There had already been speculation over a possible change of ownership in recent months, with Argentine businessman Ricardo Pini reportedly linked with a potential takeover worth around €12million.Messi’s reported agreement has now changed the picture considerably, although the final transaction still needs to clear its remaining requirements before it can be considered complete.
The club is also experiencing difficulties on the pitch
Eldense dismissed Claudio Barragán on Monday, making him the first Segunda División manager to be sacked this season, according to reports.The club had collected just two points from its opening four league matches and had not appointed a replacement at the time of reporting.Messi’s potential arrival would therefore come while Eldense attempts to stabilise both its sporting and institutional situation.The proposed takeover also marks another intriguing development in Messi’s post-playing career.The Argentine, who is now 39, has already won virtually every major honour available to him, including the World Cup and Champions League, and has collected a record eight Ballon d’Or awards.His investment in Cornellà earlier this year signalled his growing interest in football away from the pitch. A takeover of Eldense would represent a substantially larger commitment, putting one of the game’s greatest-ever players in position to influence a club competing in Spain’s professional second tier.For now, though, the key distinction is that Messi has reportedly reached an agreement in principle, rather than completed the acquisition.The final legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence and the required CSD authorisation, still need to be completed before Messi can officially take control of Eldense.
