Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become the majority shareholder of Spanish second division club Eldense, in what would mark another major investment in Spanish football by the Argentina great.
Eldense announced that Messi has agreed in principle to acquire the shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones. If the deal receives the required approvals, the former Barcelona forward will take control of the Alicante based club.
The proposed takeover still requires several legal and contractual steps before it becomes official. Eldense must complete the due diligence process and secure the necessary authorisation from the Spanish National Sports Council, known as the CSD.
Eldense said: “A preliminary agreement has been reached with Lionel Messi for the acquisition of the shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones, which would make him the club’s majority shareholder.
“The transaction is currently subject to the completion of the remaining legal and contractual procedures, including the due diligence process, as well as the required authorisation from the Spanish National Sports Council (CSD),” BBC Sport confirms.
The potential investment would make Eldense the second Spanish club linked directly to Messi’s ownership portfolio. The Argentine star previously bought Catalan fifth tier club Cornella in April.
That move strengthened Messi’s growing connection with football beyond his playing career. Cornella said at the time that Messi’s ownership “reinforces his close ties to Barcelona and his commitment to the development of sport and local talent in Catalonia”.
Eldense, meanwhile, currently face a difficult start to the campaign. The Alicante club have collected only two points from their first four matches and sit 20th in La Liga 2.
The club also parted ways with head coach Claudio Barragan earlier this week. Therefore, the possible arrival of Messi as majority shareholder comes at a key moment for Eldense as they look to stabilise the team and improve their position.
Messi’s potential investment also adds another chapter to a remarkable relationship between the Argentine and Spanish football. He moved to Spain at the age of 13 after leaving Argentina and joined Barcelona’s youth setup.
The forward made his Barcelona first team debut at just 17 in October 2004. He soon developed into one of the most influential players in the club’s history and eventually became its all time leading scorer.
Messi scored 672 goals in 778 appearances for Barcelona before leaving the club in 2021. He then joined French giants Paris St Germain, where he continued his career at the highest level.
In 2023, Messi moved to the United States to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami. He has since combined his playing career with a growing interest in football investments and club ownership.
At international level, Messi recently ended his Argentina career after the national team suffered a 1 0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. The result closed another major chapter in his decorated international career.
The Eldense agreement would also place Messi in the company of other high profile football stars who have invested in Spanish clubs. His former Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo bought a 25 percent stake in Spanish side Almeria in February.
For Eldense, Messi’s proposed investment could bring greater attention, commercial opportunities and long term ambitions to the club. However, the agreement remains subject to the completion of the required legal procedures and approval from the Spanish authorities.
Until those steps are completed, Messi is not yet officially Eldense’s majority shareholder. Nevertheless, the preliminary agreement signals a potentially significant change in the club’s future and could give Eldense a powerful new figure behind their long term project.
