Lionel Messi prepares to buy the second Spanish club and agrees to own 100% of the LaLiga 2 CD Eldense | football news
Lionel Messi is reportedly preparing to take another major step into football ownership, with the Argentine 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 involvement in Spanish professional football while also bringing him closer to the country where he spent the vast majority of his playing career and where he is expected to live after finishing his time as an active player with Inter Miami.
Messi would have reached an agreement 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 club.Reports claim that Messi would acquire 100 percent of Eldense’s shares, meaning that the investment would be made solely by the Argentine and would not involve partners, former players or other third parties.However, the deal has not yet been completed.The deal is expected to close in the coming days, provided the remaining legal and contractual formalities are completed. Those procedures include the necessary financial due diligence, while the proposed acquisition will also require approval from Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD).The club is based in Elda, province of Alicante, and currently competes in LaLiga 2, Spain’s second division. Eldense were recently promoted to the Second Division, 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 about 3,500 subscribers.The proposed acquisition would represent another piece of Messi’s emerging football business portfolio.In early 2026, Messi acquired 100 percent of the shares of UE Cornellà, a Catalan club that competes in the Spanish third division.
That deal was announced in April, and Cornellà said Messi’s arrival would begin “a new chapter in the club’s history” aimed at boosting sporting and institutional growth, strengthening its foundations and continuing investment in talent.The Cornellà project has placed special emphasis on the development of youth teams and women’s football.Eldense’s investment would take Messi’s involvement to a considerably higher level of the Spanish football pyramid, with the club competing in professional football.Reports suggest that the motivation behind the project is Messi’s desire to reinvest his footballing legacy in the game itself, and Eldense’s location could also fit into his long-term plans.Elda is in the province of Alicante and relatively close to Catalonia, where Messi is expected to live once his playing career ends.
It comes as the club searches for a 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.In recent months there had already been speculation about a possible change of ownership, and Argentine businessman Ricardo Pini had been linked to a possible acquisition worth about 12 million euros.Messi’s reported deal has changed the picture considerably, although the final transaction still needs to clear the remaining requirements before it can be considered complete.
The club is also going through difficulties on the field of play
Eldense fired Claudio Barragán on Monday, becoming the first Second Division coach fired this season, according to reports.The club had taken just two points from their first four league games and had not named a replacement at the time of writing.The possible arrival of Messi would occur, therefore, while Eldense tries to stabilize its sporting and institutional situation.The proposed acquisition also marks another intriguing development in Messi’s post-playing career.The Argentine, now 39, has already won virtually every major honor at his disposal, including the World Cup and Champions League, and has claimed a record eight Ballon d’Or awards.His investment in Cornellà earlier this year marked his growing interest in football off the field. An Eldense takeover would represent a substantially larger commitment, placing one of the greatest players in football history in a position to influence a club competing in Spain’s second professional division.For now, however, the key distinction is that Messi reportedly reached an agreement in principle, rather than completing the takeover.Final legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence and required CSD clearance, still need to be completed before Messi can officially take control of Eldense.
