Alicante: Eldense, a club in Spain's Segunda Divisi³n, has confirmed that Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become the club's majority shareholder.
According to Thai News Agency, the legendary Argentinian footballer, who is currently with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, continues to expand his investments in Spanish football. This acquisition follows his investment in Cornella, a Catalonian club he acquired last April. The 39-year-old recently announced his retirement from the Argentine national team after their defeat in the 2026 World Cup final against Spain.
Eldense released a statement explaining the agreement with Messi involves acquiring shares held by Grupo TH Soluciones, positioning him as the club's majority shareholder. The transaction is pending completion of legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence and necessary approvals from the Spanish National Sports Council (CSD).
The club, based in Alicante, has struggled this season, securing only 2 points from 4 matches and currently ranking 20th in the La Liga 2 table. They also parted ways with their manager, Claudio Barragan, earlier this week, adding to the challenges they face.
Messi's involvement with Cornella aims to strengthen ties with Barcelona and support local sports and young talent development in Catalonia. Cornella is currently in the fifth division of Spanish football.
Messi's journey in football began when he moved from Argentina to Spain at 13 and debuted for Barcelona's first team at 17 in October 2004. He scored 672 goals in 778 appearances for Bar§a before playing for Paris Saint-Germain and then moving to Inter Miami in 2023.
In a related development, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi's former rival at Real Madrid, acquired a 25% stake in Almeria, another Spanish club, earlier this year.