Lionel Messi Becomes New Owner of Spanish Club Eldense

Football superstar Lionel Messi has been announced as the new owner of Spanish second-tier club CD Eldense, marking another major step into football ownership for the Argentina and Barcelona legend.

Eldense officially announced the acquisition on Thursday, October 1, 2026, saying Messi’s arrival begins a new chapter in the club’s more than 100-year history. The club was founded in 1921 and currently competes in Spain’s Segunda División, the country’s second tier of professional football.

The announcement follows an agreement reached between Messi and the club’s previous majority shareholder. Reports earlier in September said Messi had agreed to acquire the shares held by Colombian investment group Grupo TH Soluciones, which would make him the club’s majority owner.

Deal Still Requires Regulatory Approval

Although Eldense has officially announced Messi as its new owner, the transaction is not yet completely free of regulatory requirements.

The club stated that the acquisition remains subject to the required authorization from Spain’s Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), the country’s National Sports Council, under the Sports Law.

Financial details of the transaction have not been publicly disclosed.

Eldense said Messi’s project is intended to have a long-term focus, with objectives including the development of the club’s sporting, institutional and social structures.

Messi’s Second Spanish Club

The Eldense takeover comes only months after Messi acquired another Spanish club, UE Cornellà.

In April 2026, Cornellà announced that Messi had officially acquired the Catalan club, which competes in the fifth tier of Spanish football. The club said the project would focus on sporting and institutional development, local talent and long-term sustainability.

The two investments give Messi ownership interests at different levels of the Spanish football system, with Eldense competing in the professional second division and Cornellà operating in the lower tiers.

Messi remains an active professional footballer with Inter Miami despite expanding his involvement away from the pitch.

For Eldense, the arrival of one of football’s most recognizable figures represents a significant change in ownership as the club seeks to strengthen its position in Spanish professional football.

The completion of the Eldense transaction will now depend on the required regulatory approval.