Argentine footballer Lionel Messi has reached an agreement in principle to acquire a majority stake in Eldense, a Spanish second-division club based in Alicante, the club announced.
According to a spokesperson for the Spanish side cited by the news agency France-Presse, the deal involves buying shares held by the group TH Soluciones, which would make the former FC Barcelona forward the club's majority shareholder. The transaction is still subject to final legal steps and to authorisation from Spain's Consejo Superior de Deportes, the national sports authority that oversees ownership changes at Spanish clubs.
No financial details or a timeline for completing the deal were disclosed.
Second Spanish club for Messi
If completed, the purchase would make Eldense the second Spanish club under Messi's control. He acquired Cornellà, which plays in one of Spain's lower divisions, in April.
Eldense play in Spain's second tier and are based in Elda, in the Alicante province, while Cornellà is based near Barcelona in Catalonia.
Messi's career and Argentina exit
Messi, 39, has won the Ballon d'Or eight times and was part of the Argentina squad that won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He has played for Inter Miami in the United States since 2023.
At the end of August, Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team following the defeat to Spain in the final of the 2026 World Cup.
The move into club ownership in Spain comes as Messi steps back from international football after two decades representing Argentina.
