Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to acquire a majority stake in Spanish second-division club Eldense, adding another club to the football investment portfolio of the former Barcelona forward.
Eldense said the agreement covers the shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones. The transaction, however, is not yet complete and remains subject to legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence and approval from Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD).
“A preliminary agreement has been reached with Lionel Messi for the acquisition of the shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones, which would make him the club’s majority shareholder,” Eldense said in a statement.
The proposed investment would make Eldense the second Spanish club in which Messi has acquired an ownership stake. The 39-year-old bought Catalan fifth-tier club Cornella in April.
Messi adds Eldense to Spanish football investments
Eldense, based in Alicante, currently plays in La Liga 2, Spain’s second division. The club has struggled at the start of the current season, collecting two points from four matches and sitting 20th in the standings.
The club also parted ways with coach Claudio Barragan earlier this week.
Messi’s investment comes as the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to build interests in football beyond his playing career. He currently plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
His first reported Spanish club investment came with Cornella, which competes in the fifth tier of Spanish football.
Cornella said in April that Messi’s ownership strengthened his links with Barcelona and reflected his commitment to developing sport and local talent in Catalonia.
Messi’s growing football ownership portfolio
The Eldense deal would give Messi a direct ownership interest in a club competing in Spain’s professional football pyramid.
The proposed acquisition also places Messi in the growing group of elite footballers investing in clubs. His former Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo acquired a 25% stake in Spanish club Almeria in February.
For Messi, the investment has a particular connection to Spain, where he spent the majority of his playing career.
Messi moved from Argentina to Spain at 13 and made his Barcelona first-team debut at 17 in October 2004. He went on to score a club-record 672 goals in 778 appearances before leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
He joined Inter Miami in 2023 after two seasons with PSG. The financial terms of Messi’s proposed investment in Eldense have not been disclosed.