Messi to buy Spanish 2nd-tier club Eldense: Report

Argentine football star Lionel Messi has reached an agreement in principle to acquire Spanish second-division club Eldense, Spanish daily Marca reported Tuesday.

The transaction could be formalized once the remaining legal and contractual procedures are completed, including a due diligence review of the club.

The deal will also require authorization from Spain’s High Council for Sports (CSD).

The agreement would see Messi acquire 100% of Eldense’s shares.

The 39-year-old former Barcelona forward currently plays for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami. He recently retired from international football after Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

He has increasingly moved into football ownership in recent years, buying Spanish fifth-tier club UE Cornella in April and joining former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez in Uruguay’s Deportivo LSM project.

Messi also became a co-owner of KRU Esports, founded by his former Argentina teammate Sergio Aguero, in 2023.

Eldense, based in Elda in Spain’s Alicante province, were founded in 1921 and have spent most of their history outside the top two divisions of Spanish football.

They returned to the second tier in 2023 for the first time since 1964 before being relegated in 2025 and earning promotion back this summer.