Lionel Messi set to take control of Spanish club Eldense

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.

The 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 comes only months after he acquired a 100 per cent stake in UE Cornella, a semi-professional Spanish club based on the outskirts of Barcelona.

Cornella were founded in 1951 and currently compete in the fifth tier of Spanish football.

The club described Messi’s arrival as the beginning of a new era designed to deliver growth both on the field and behind the scenes.

“The project is guided by a long-term vision and a strategic plan that combines ambition, sustainability, and a strong connection to its local roots,” Cornella said at the time.

Messi also co-owns Uruguayan side Deportivo LSM alongside Inter Miami team-mate Luis Suarez.

His contract with Inter Miami additionally includes an equity option which would allow him to purchase a stake in the Major League Soccer club after his playing career concludes.

Eldense would comfortably become the biggest club within Messi’s growing portfolio.

They returned to Spain’s second tier last season but have endured a difficult beginning to the new campaign, collecting only two points from their opening four matches.

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.

Founded in 1921, Eldense have spent much of their history competing below the top two levels of the Spanish pyramid.

They returned to the second division in 2023 for the first time since 1964 but were relegated two years later.

An immediate promotion last season secured their place back in the second tier.

The club play at the Nuevo Pepico Amat in Elda, a stadium with a capacity of 5,776.

Messi’s ownership of both Eldense and Cornella could eventually create a regulatory complication if the teams were to compete in the same division.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation would be unlikely to permit two clubs under common ownership to play against one another in the same competition.

There are currently three divisions between them, meaning the issue is not an immediate concern.

For now, Messi is awaiting regulatory approval before officially beginning his latest and most ambitious venture into football ownership.