Lionel Messi prepares to acquire Eldense football club
Lionel Messi has agreed in principle to take control of Spanish second-division club Eldense as the football icon continues to build an expanding ownership empire, reports BritPanorama.
An agreement has been reached between the relevant parties, although the takeover has not yet been formally completed. Final legal and contractual procedures must be concluded before the deal can be signed off, while approval will also be required from Spain’s High Council for Sport.
The process is expected to be completed in the coming days. Neither Messi nor Eldense have disclosed the value of the proposed transaction. This deal would represent another significant step into club ownership for the 39-year-old following his recent international retirement.
Messi announced the end of his Argentina career after his country’s defeat in the World Cup final and has continued increasing his interests away from the pitch. His move for Eldense follows his acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in UE Cornella, a semi-professional club based on the outskirts of Barcelona.
Eldense would become the largest club within Messi’s growing portfolio. Founded in 1921, Eldense has spent much of its history competing below the top two levels of the Spanish pyramid. After returning to the second division in 2023, the club has faced challenges, gathering only two points from their opening four matches of the current season.
Claudio Barragan was dismissed as head coach earlier this week, leaving the struggling club searching for a new manager while the proposed ownership change moves towards completion. The club plays at the Nuevo Pepico Amat in Elda, which has a capacity of 5,776 seats.
Messi’s ownership of both Eldense and Cornella could create a regulatory complication should the teams compete in the same division in the future, as the Royal Spanish Football Federation is unlikely to permit two clubs under common ownership to play against each other.
With three divisions currently separating the two clubs, this concern is not immediate. For now, Messi is awaiting regulatory approval before officially embarking on his latest and most ambitious venture into football ownership.
As Messi charts this new course in football, the dimensions of his influence continue to expand, signalling an evolving landscape where even the most iconic players can reshape their legacy beyond the pitch.
