Lionel Messi is taking another major step into football ownership, with the Argentine superstar reportedly reaching an agreement in principle to acquire Spanish second-tier club CD Eldense.
The proposed takeover would see Messi become the owner of the club, adding another Spanish football project to his growing portfolio and strengthening his involvement in the game away from the pitch.
According to reports from Spain, Messi has agreed to purchase the shares currently controlled by Colombian investment group TH Soluciones Group S.A.S. The deal is yet to be formally completed, with regulatory and contractual procedures still required before the takeover can become official.
Eldense, based in the Spanish city of Elda in Alicante, currently competes in Segunda División, the second tier of Spanish football.
The club has spent three of the last four seasons in Spain’s second division, making its return to professional football a significant part of its recent history.
Messi’s reported interest comes at a difficult moment for Eldense on the pitch.
The club has endured a disappointing beginning to the current campaign, collecting only two points from its opening four matches. That poor run eventually led to the departure of manager Claudio Barragán, who had played an important role in guiding the club back to the professional game.
The timing of Messi’s proposed takeover could therefore prove significant.
The Argentine’s arrival would immediately bring global attention to a club that has traditionally operated far away from the spotlight enjoyed by Spain’s biggest teams such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.
For Eldense supporters, the prospect of having one of football’s most recognisable figures involved in the club could represent the beginning of a completely new era.
Messi is no stranger to football ownership.
Earlier this year, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner acquired Spanish fifth-tier club UE Cornellà, continuing his connection with Catalonia after spending the majority of his playing career at Barcelona.
His reported move for Eldense would take that involvement to another level because the club competes in professional football.
It would also demonstrate that Messi’s ambitions in football are beginning to extend beyond his playing career.
The 39-year-old remains an active player with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, but his growing investment in football clubs suggests that he is already thinking about his long-term future in the sport.
The Eldense takeover is expected to be a solo venture for Messi, rather than a joint investment with former Barcelona teammates Andrés Iniesta and Carles Puyol, despite earlier speculation linking the former players to the project. The mayor of Elda, Rubén Alfaro, has confirmed that Messi’s camp has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the club.
However, the deal still needs to pass through the necessary legal and regulatory procedures.
Reports indicate that approval from Spain’s High Council for Sports will be required before the transaction can be completed. An audit and other contractual formalities are also expected to form part of the process.
If everything goes through, Messi will have ownership interests in two Spanish clubs in the same year.
That is an intriguing development for a player whose name has been closely associated with Barcelona for more than two decades.
Messi came through Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy before becoming one of the greatest players in the club’s history. He scored 672 goals in 778 appearances for the Catalan giants and won numerous domestic and European trophies during his 17 seasons with the first team.
His transition into club ownership could now give him an opportunity to influence football from a completely different position.
The Eldense project will not be without challenges. The club needs stability on the pitch, while its new ownership structure would have to balance sporting ambition with sustainable financial planning.
For Messi, however, the attraction may be bigger than immediate success.
Owning a professional Spanish club could provide him with an opportunity to develop young players, strengthen the club’s infrastructure and build a long-term football project.
It could also offer another route for Messi to remain deeply connected to the sport once his playing career eventually comes to an end.
For Eldense fans, the immediate hope will be that the arrival of the football legend can help transform the club’s fortunes.
For Messi, meanwhile, this could be the beginning of an even bigger journey in football — one that sees him move from being the star on the pitch to becoming one of the people shaping the future of the game from the boardroom.
