Lionel Messi has reached an agreement in principle to acquire full ownership of Spanish second-tier club CD Eldense, marking another major step in the football star’s growing involvement in club ownership.
The proposed takeover would see Messi acquire 100 per cent of the shares currently held by Colombian investment group TH, which is led by Juan Carlos Trujillo. The agreement has been reached after negotiations conducted by Messi’s legal representatives, but the transaction has not yet been fully completed. It remains subject to final legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence and approval from Spain’s High Council for Sports (CSD).
Eldense, based in Elda in the Alicante province, currently competes in Spain’s Segunda División, the country’s second tier. The club has spent much of its history outside the top levels of Spanish football but returned to the professional game in recent years and has competed in the second division in three of the past four seasons.
If completed, the takeover would represent Messi’s first ownership of a professional club in Spain. He already owns UE Cornellà, a club competing in the lower tiers of Spanish football, after acquiring the Catalan side earlier this year. Unlike some other football ownership ventures involving former stars and investment partners, the Eldense purchase is expected to be a solo investment by Messi.
The potential takeover comes at a difficult moment for Eldense on the pitch. The club has collected only two points from its opening four league matches and recently parted company with manager Claudio Barragán, who had guided the team back into professional football. Assistant coach Josep Ferrando has taken charge on an interim basis.
Messi’s arrival could nevertheless transform the profile of the club. Eldense has around 3,500 season-ticket holders in a city of just over 55,000 people, while its Nuevo Pepico Amat stadium has a capacity of roughly 5,800. The international attention generated by Messi’s involvement could therefore create new commercial, sponsorship and fan opportunities for the club.
The proposed acquisition also adds to Messi’s expanding football business interests as he approaches the later stages of his playing career. He remains an Inter Miami player and is expected to receive an ownership stake in the MLS club once his playing contract ends. His move into club ownership places him among a growing group of prominent footballers who have begun building portfolios away from the pitch.
For Eldense, however, the immediate priority remains completing the transaction and stabilising the club. The agreement in principle is significant, but until the remaining procedures are concluded and the change of ownership receives the necessary approval, Messi should not yet be described as the club’s completed owner.
If the deal goes through as expected, Eldense will move into a new era with one of football’s most recognisable figures controlling its future — a development that could dramatically increase the club’s international profile while placing greater expectations on its sporting and commercial ambitions.
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