Messi acquires CD Eldense to become majority owner of second Spanish club in 2025

Lionel Messi has become the majority owner of CD Eldense, a second-tier Spanish club, after acquiring all shares previously held by a Colombian investment group — his second football club purchase in Spain within a single year.

The 39-year-old Inter Miami forward completed the deal last month and the acquisition is now pending authorisation from Spain’s Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) under the terms of Spanish sports law. Messi had earlier bought UE Cornella, based in Barcelona, in April.

In an official statement, the club said: “Club Deportivo Eldense officially announces the acquisition of the entity by Leo Messi, beginning a new and exciting stage in the more than 100 years of history of the institution. The arrival of one of the most important figures in the history of sport marks the beginning of a long-term project with the aim of boosting the sporting, institutional and social development of Eldense.”

Founded in 1921, Eldense compete in Spain’s second tier and are currently enduring a difficult start to the season, sitting 19th in the table after four defeats in seven matches. The club faces a potential relegation battle, and the statement outlined ambitions to “consolidate and grow in professional football” under Messi’s ownership.

The takeover marks a notable expansion of Messi’s off-field interests in Spanish football. Having spent the majority of his playing career at Barcelona before stints at Paris Saint-Germain and now Inter Miami, the former Argentina captain is now building a presence in the Spanish football pyramid through club ownership rather than playing.