SUMMARY
Lionel Messi has reached an agreement in principle to acquire 100% of the shares of Spanish second-division club CD Eldense from Colombian investment group TH Soluciones Group S.A.S. The transaction is still subject to due diligence, final legal and contractual procedures and authorization from Spain’s High Council for Sports. If completed, the deal would make Messi the owner of a professional Spanish football club and mark another major step into football ownership for the Argentine star.
MESSI MOVES CLOSER TO OWNING A PROFESSIONAL SPANISH CLUB — Lionel Messi is preparing to add another football club to his growing ownership portfolio after reaching an agreement in principle to purchase Spanish second-tier side CD Eldense.
The club confirmed Wednesday that the Argentine football star is close to completing a deal to acquire the shares currently held by Colombian investment group TH Soluciones Group S.A.S., its majority shareholder.
The proposed transaction would give Messi control of 100% of the club's shares.
However, the purchase has not yet been formally completed.
Eldense said the agreement remains subject to the completion of legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence and authorization from Spain's High Council for Sports.
MESSI IS BUYING ELDENSE IN HIS OWN NAME
One of the most notable aspects of the agreement is that Messi is expected to make the acquisition alone.
Earlier reports had linked other former Barcelona players to a possible investment in the club, but the latest information indicates that Messi is pursuing the acquisition independently.
If the transaction is completed as expected, he would take control of the club rather than simply holding a minority investment.
That would give the 39-year-old football star direct influence over Eldense's long-term sporting and business strategy.
WHO ARE ELDENSE?
Club Deportivo Eldense is based in Elda, a city in Spain's Valencia region.
The club was founded in 1921 and has spent much of its history outside the top levels of Spanish football.
Eldense's recent rise has nevertheless been remarkable.
The club returned to Spain's second division in 2023 after spending decades in the lower levels of the country's football pyramid.
Its rise eventually attracted the attention of TH Soluciones Group, which took control of the club in October 2025.
The Colombian investment group helped oversee the club's continued development as it competed in professional Spanish football.
ELDENSE IS CURRENTLY STRUGGLING
Messi would not be taking over a club at the top of the table.
Eldense currently sits near the bottom of the Segunda Division standings and has struggled to secure its first victory of the season.
The club began the campaign with two draws and two defeats, leaving it in 20th position in the standings at the time of the reports.
That makes the timing of Messi's arrival particularly interesting.
Rather than buying a club already positioned for promotion, he would be taking control of a team that needs significant sporting improvement.
THE SECOND DIVISION IS A MAJOR STEP UP
Spain's second division, officially known as LaLiga Hypermotion, is one of Europe's most competitive second-tier competitions.
The ultimate prize for clubs competing there is promotion to LaLiga, the country's top division.
For Eldense, reaching Spain's top flight would represent a dramatic transformation.
For Messi, it would create the possibility of turning his new investment into a club capable of competing on one of the biggest stages in European football.
But promotion is extremely difficult.
Financial resources, squad quality, recruitment, coaching and club infrastructure all have to align.
MESSI ALREADY OWNS ANOTHER SPANISH CLUB
The Eldense deal would not be Messi's first investment in Spanish football this year.
In April 2026, he acquired UE Cornellà , a club competing in Spain's fifth tier.
Cornellà has a reputation for developing young players, with several academy graduates eventually moving into professional football.
That investment appears to fit a different strategy from Eldense.
While Cornellà offers a grassroots and youth-development platform, Eldense would give Messi control of a club already operating in professional Spanish football.
WHY ELDENSE COULD BE ATTRACTIVE TO MESSI
The biggest attraction may be the club's potential rather than its current position.
Eldense has already demonstrated that it can climb from the lower levels of Spanish football.
Its location in the Valencia region also places it within one of Spain's strongest football environments.
With the right investment and management, Messi could attempt to build the club into a more established professional organization.
That could involve improving scouting, developing young players, strengthening the commercial operation and gradually increasing the quality of the first-team squad.
MESSI'S BARCELONA CONNECTION COULD MATTER
Messi spent the majority of his European career at FC Barcelona, where he became the club's greatest goalscorer and one of the most influential players in football history.
His relationship with Barcelona also gives him an enormous network within the football industry.
That does not automatically translate into success as a club owner.
Running a football club requires different skills from playing football.
But Messi's reputation, relationships and understanding of elite football could potentially help Eldense attract attention, commercial partners and young talent.
MESSI IS ENTERING FOOTBALL OWNERSHIP WHILE STILL PLAYING
The timing of the acquisition is also unusual.
Messi remains an active professional footballer with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
He is therefore beginning his transition into football ownership while still playing at the highest professional level.
That gives him the opportunity to learn the business side of football before his playing career ends.
It also means his decisions as an owner will be closely watched because of his enormous global profile.
INTER MIAMI COULD ALSO BECOME PART OF HIS FUTURE
Messi's relationship with Inter Miami is expected to extend beyond his playing career.
Reports indicate that he is set to receive an ownership stake in the MLS club after his playing contract expires.
That would potentially give Messi interests in clubs on both sides of the Atlantic.
The combination would create an unusual football portfolio for a player who is still actively competing.
THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IS SIGNIFICANT
Football clubs generate revenue through television rights, sponsorships, ticket sales, merchandise, hospitality and player transfers.
A club in Spain's second division does not generate the same revenues as a major LaLiga team.
But promotion can dramatically change the financial picture.
That creates an obvious investment strategy for an ambitious owner: improve the club's sporting performance and infrastructure while building its commercial value.
However, achieving promotion cannot simply be purchased.
Spanish football has financial regulations designed to prevent clubs from spending without sufficient financial backing.
MESSI CANNOT SIMPLY SPEND UNLIMITED MONEY
One misconception about celebrity ownership is that a wealthy owner can immediately transform a club by buying expensive players.
Spanish football does not work that way.
LaLiga and the Spanish football authorities impose financial controls that restrict clubs' spending based on their financial circumstances.
That means Messi would need to build Eldense carefully rather than simply attempting to buy promotion.
Good recruitment, youth development and sustainable revenue growth could therefore become more important than simply spending large sums on established stars.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COULD BECOME A MAJOR PART OF THE PROJECT
Messi's decision to also acquire Cornellà could eventually become relevant to his wider football strategy.
A club operating in the lower divisions can provide opportunities for young players to develop before moving into professional football.
Eldense could potentially become a destination for players who emerge through a broader development network.
That would allow Messi to build an ownership model based partly on player development rather than relying exclusively on expensive transfers.
THE BIGGER GOAL MAY BE LONG-TERM
It would be a mistake to judge the acquisition solely on Eldense's current league position.
Messi's investment appears to have a longer-term dimension.
He could be building a football business that continues growing after his playing career ends.
The acquisition of Cornellà followed by an investment in a second-division club suggests that he is becoming increasingly interested in football ownership rather than simply making a one-off investment.
MESSI JOINS A GROWING GROUP OF FOOTBALLERS TURNED OWNERS
Messi is entering a trend that has seen several famous footballers become investors or owners of clubs.
Former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué owns FC Andorra, while other high-profile players have also invested in clubs in different European countries.
The movement reflects the increasing recognition that elite footballers can use their fame, wealth and industry connections to build businesses around the sport after or during their playing careers.
WHY PLAYER OWNERSHIP IS BECOMING MORE ATTRACTIVE
For superstar footballers, ownership offers something that playing cannot provide.
A playing career eventually ends.
A football club can continue generating value for decades.
Successful ownership can also give former players influence over the development of young talent, recruitment and the commercial direction of a club.
Messi's move therefore represents a potential transition from being the product on the pitch to becoming an investor behind the scenes.
ELDENSE NEEDS MORE THAN MESSI'S NAME
There is an important reality that should not be overlooked.
Messi's global fame will bring enormous attention to Eldense, but attention does not automatically create sporting success.
The club still needs effective management, recruitment, coaching and financial discipline.
If Messi's ownership becomes heavily focused on the celebrity value of his name without improving the club's underlying structure, the investment could disappoint.
The opposite is also possible.
If his reputation is combined with strong football management and a coherent long-term strategy, Eldense could become one of the more interesting projects in Spanish football.
THE PROMOTION DREAM
The obvious long-term ambition will be promotion to LaLiga.
Playing in Spain's top division would dramatically increase Eldense's exposure and commercial opportunities.
It would also place Messi's club directly alongside some of the biggest teams in world football.
But the road there is difficult.
Eldense would first need to stabilize its position in the second division before thinking seriously about promotion.
The club's current struggles demonstrate how much work remains.
MESSI'S REPUTATION COULD HELP OFF THE FIELD
Few people in world football can generate attention on Messi's scale.
His involvement could increase international awareness of Eldense and potentially make the club more attractive to sponsors and commercial partners.
Merchandising and global fan engagement could also grow.
A club that previously had limited international recognition could suddenly have millions of people around the world paying attention to its results.
Turning that attention into sustainable revenue, however, will require professional commercial management.
THE DEAL IS NOT FINAL YET
Despite reports describing Messi as the club's new owner, the legal process has not yet been completed.
Eldense has confirmed that the agreement is still subject to due diligence and the necessary legal and contractual procedures.
Authorization from Spain's High Council for Sports is also required.
The club has not provided a fixed date for completion of the transaction.
That means the most accurate description at this stage is that Messi has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the club.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The immediate priority will be completing the remaining legal procedures and regulatory approval.
Once the transaction is formally completed, attention will shift toward Messi's plans for the club.
Questions will include whether he intends to invest heavily in the squad, how he plans to restructure the club's football operations and whether youth development will become a central part of the project.
The club's position in the Segunda Division will also make the sporting situation urgent.
Messi could be taking over a club that needs to fight simply to remain competitive at its current level.
CONCLUSION
Lionel Messi is moving closer to becoming the owner of a professional Spanish football club after reaching an agreement in principle to purchase 100% of the shares of CD Eldense.
The acquisition would represent a significant new chapter in Messi's relationship with football.
He has spent his career dominating the sport as a player. Now he is beginning to build a position on the other side of the game—as an owner and investor.
But the deal is not yet complete.
The transaction still requires due diligence, final legal and contractual procedures and approval from Spain's High Council for Sports.
If those steps are completed, Messi will take control of a second-tier Spanish club with ambitions of building a stronger future.
The challenge will be considerable. Eldense is currently near the bottom of the standings, and Spanish football's financial rules mean Messi cannot simply spend his way to success.
Instead, the project will likely depend on smart recruitment, youth development, financial discipline and professional management.
That is what makes the acquisition more interesting than a celebrity buying a football club for publicity.
Messi now has the opportunity to prove whether his football intelligence can extend beyond the pitch and into the complicated business of building a successful club.
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