Messi reaches preliminary agreement to buy Spanish club Eldense
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New Delhi: Lionel Messi is set to expand his involvement in football ownership after Spanish second-division club Eldense announced that the Argentine great has reached a preliminary agreement to become its majority shareholder.
Eldense said Messi has agreed to acquire the shares currently held by Grupo TH Soluciones. However, the deal has not yet been completed and remains subject to several legal and contractual procedures.
The club said the agreement is subject to 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 on Wednesday, as quoted by the BBC.
The proposed investment would make Eldense the second Spanish club to come under Messi’s ownership or control.
The 39-year-old had earlier invested in Catalan club Cornella, which currently plays in the fifth tier of Spanish football. The move underlined Messi’s growing interest in the development of football clubs away from the pitch.
Eldense, based in Alicante, are currently struggling in La Liga 2. They have collected just two points from their opening four matches and sit 20th in the standings. The club also parted ways with head coach Claudio Barragan earlier this week.
Messi, meanwhile, continues to play club football for Inter Miami. The former Barcelona forward has built one of the most successful careers in football history, winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2022 and claiming two Copa America titles.
He recently announced his retirement from international football following Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
Messi ended his Argentina career with a record 207 appearances for the national team. His international journey began in 2005 and included some difficult years before he finally lifted the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022.
His decision to step away from international football came after a career filled with major achievements, including the 2022 World Cup and Copa America triumphs.
With IANS inputs