Lionel Messi is buying Spanish second-tier club Eldense, an Argentine!

Argentine superstar and Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi expanding the scope of his club ownership in Spanish professional football, the second-tier team of the country CD Eldensehave reached a preliminary agreement to acquire a majority stake in -. Currently owned by the Colombian consortium Grupo THFollowing long discussions with -, the formal process of transferring control of this historic club in the second tier of Spanish football has begun. The regulatory body of Spain National Sports Council (CSD)Upon successful final approval and economic due diligence, this is set to be Messi's second football investment in Spain this year. This new investment in the professional tier of the Spanish league has caught the attention of football economists worldwide, bringing a new institutional foundation to Messi's off-pitch commercial empire. Lionel Messi is purchasing ownership of Eldense, a football club in Spain's second division. Investment in professional football, CSD approval, and the future regulations of the Spanish Football Federation.

Why did Lionel Messi choose Eldense, a club in Spain's second division?

For 39-year-old World Cup-winning star Lionel Messi, who wrote a golden chapter in Spanish football for over two decades, this investment is not merely a commercial decision, but rather a far-reaching strategy to transform football culture on European soil into business success. Earlier this year, the fifth-division team from the Barcelona region UE Cornellà Even though it was bought, it was a semi-professional preliminary initiative through which he started bringing up academy-level players. However, to exert a direct influence on the mainstream of Spain's recognized professional football pyramid, he has now set his sights on CD Eldense, an ancient club in the Valencia region. The leading US sports network was the first to publicly break the news of this sensational development in the international sports arena. ESPN, where it is confirmed that the preliminary agreement with Grupo TH has already been completed and the financial audit process is in full swing.

The institutional structure of Eldense has created a realistic opportunity for Spain's top tier, La Liga, to be within Messi's reach, which would have taken a much longer time with the lower-tier Cornellà. Founded in 1921, the main goal of Messi's economic team is to modernize the Valencian club's historic stadium, Nuevo Pepico Amat, and increase the club's brand value to make it known in the European arena. Behind this acquisition, Messi's investment firm seeks to capitalize on the opportunities of Spanish football's growing television rights and digital broadcasting revenue. Messi's deep familiarity with the Spanish football structure and his long-standing affection for the regions of Catalonia and Valencia acted as one of the primary catalysts for choosing this club.

What is the complex process of ownership transfer and CSD approval of Grupo TH?

Colombian investment firm Grupo TH has long been investing in the multinational football ownership model, and they also hold significant stakes in clubs in Colombia and Switzerland. However, amidst managing a Spanish second division club and global financial strains, they had long been searching for a qualified investor to profitably transfer Eldense's shares. Citing European sports observers informed on the matter, the British publication BBC Sport It has been reported that ‘due diligence’ is currently underway to thoroughly verify the club's internal accounts, ledger of liabilities, and contract details before the official acquisition process is completed. A spokesperson for the club's board of directors stated, “We are in discussions with such a global figure who is capable of taking the club's 100-year heritage to the highest level of professionalism.”

However, even though the financial understanding is finalized, Spain's highest sports governing body will play the biggest role in executing the entire process. Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD)According to Spanish corporate and sports law, in the event of a change in ownership of a professional sports public limited company or SAD, transparency of the investor's funds, guarantees to prevent club insolvency, and anti-money laundering compliance by the league's governing board are mandatory. This transfer cannot take effect without the green light from the National Sports Council. Economic experts believe that in the case of a transparent and globally renowned investor like Messi, obtaining legal approval is just a matter of time, yet due to Spain's strict financial fair play regulations, document verification could take a few weeks.

What is the potential conflict in the Spanish Football Federation regarding the joint ownership of Cornellà and Eldense?

In Spanish football regulations, avoiding conflicts of interest in club ownership and protecting the integrity of competition is a highly sensitive legal matter. Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) And under La Liga's joint code of conduct, no single individual or regulatory body can hold decisive power over two clubs that could face each other in the same division or against one another. Currently, Eldense is playing in the professional Segunda División and Cornellà is in the fifth division; consequently, with a three-tier gap on the field, no legal obstacles are created immediately. Citing various precedents of European football's business framework and club ownership conflicts The GuardianThe analysis states that it is precisely when lower-tier clubs achieve rapid promotion and rise to upper tiers that such multi-club models face strict disciplinary measures from the federation.

If, in the future, under Lionel Messi's sponsorship, Cornellà rapidly improves and advances to the third and second divisions, and Eldense maintains its current position, both clubs will face legal obstacles to facing each other in the same league. In that case, according to the Spanish Football Federation's ‘multi-ownership clause,’ one club could be mandatorily denied promotion, or Messi would have to sell his controlling shares in either club. FIFA, the governing body of world football, has also recently tightened its stance against the ownership of multiple clubs in order to reduce the possibility of match-fixing or unfair advantages to zero. Therefore, this new investment in Eldense has created a major challenge for Messi's lawyers to redesign Cornellà's legal framework in the future.

Can Eldense, struggling on the pitch, turn things around with Messi's magic?

Historically, CD Eldense is a name associated with a long struggle in Spanish football, as the majority of their history has been spent in the country's third and fourth divisions. In 2023, the team caused a surprise by promoting to the Spanish Second Division for the first time in nearly six decades, or since 1964. However, the following year in 2025, they were relegated again, and after a long battle, they proved their worth by returning to the Second Division this current summer. Nevertheless, the start of the 2026–27 season has proven to be an extreme disaster for them; having played the first four matches of the league, they have not tasted victory in a single one, which has pushed them to the bottom of the points table.

Taking responsibility for this disastrous failure, the current management dismissed the club's head coach, Claudio Barragán, earlier this week. Consequently, as Messi is about to take control of the club, it is completely rudderless and suffering from a severe lack of self-confidence in its on-field performances. Amidst simmering fan anger at the low-capacity Estadio Nuevo Pepico Amat, Messi's potential arrival could inject fresh vitality into the dressing room. According to a top club director, “We know the team is at a difficult crossroads right now, but the arrival of the greatest player in football history will create a positive ripple effect at every level of the club, which is enough to restore the players” lost morale.”

FAQ

Which football club in Spain is Lionel Messi going to buy ownership of?

Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to buy the majority ownership of CD Eldense, a professional second-division football club in Spain.

What is the name of the other club owned by Messi in Spain?

Messi also owns another club in Spain named UE Cornellà; it is a semi-professional football club in the fifth division of the Barcelona region.

Who is the current owner of the Elden's Club?

Currently, the primary ownership of the club is held by the Colombian investment firm Grupo TH, which has partnerships in multiple clubs in Colombia and Switzerland.

What legal formalities remain for the club's ownership to be finalized?

To formally complete the agreement, proper verification or due diligence of the financial transactions must be completed, and the final clearance of Spain's National Sports Council (CSD) is required.

Does owning two clubs in the same country create any legal conflict?

For now, there is no conflict, as Eldense is playing in the second division and Cornellà in the fifth division. However, if both clubs are promoted to the same division in the future, according to the rules of the Spanish Football Federation, Messi will not be able to retain majority ownership of both teams.

What is the home ground and stadium capacity of Eldense Club?

CD Eldense's home ground is Estadio Nuevo Pepico Amat, which is located in the Spanish city of Elda and has a current seating capacity of approximately 5,776 spectators.

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Conclusion

After winning every possible trophy and accolade on the pitch as one of the greatest players in football history, this new persona of Lionel Messi proves that he is laying the foundation for establishing his long-term dominance in the global business of football. After dominating the pitch in a Barcelona jersey for a decade and a half and taking Spanish football to unparalleled heights on the world stage, Messi—now approaching 39 and standing in the twilight of his playing career as the captain of Inter Miami—is emerging as a professional club investor on Spanish soil. The commercial journey that began with a joint partnership with his close friend Luis Suárez in the Uruguayan club Deportivo LSM, followed by taking control of the Spanish grassroots club Cornellà, has now brought him to the doorstep of La Liga with the acquisition of CD Eldense.

Although Eldense's current situation on the pitch is extremely dire—as lifting a team sinking in crisis, with no wins in four matches and a dismissed coach, is no easy task—when the name of a superstar like Messi is associated with a club, it not only brings momentum to the on-pitch football, but also triggers an unimaginable surge in global sponsorships, international academy exchanges, and broadcasting rights. If the approval process of Spain's National Sports Council is successfully completed, in the near future we may see Lionel Messi battling Barcelona or Real Madrid on the top stage of La Liga with his own club. The examples of professionalism, visionary economic planning, and lifelong love for football that Messi is setting will not only change the history of CD Eldense, but will also be considered a unique precedent in modern football of transitioning from an athlete to a club tycoon.

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