Lionel Messi has reached an agreement in principle to acquire Spanish second-division club Eldense, the club confirmed in an official statement on Wednesday.
According to a report by AFP, the 39-year-old Inter Miami forward is set to acquire the shares held by Colombian investment group TH Soluciones Group, Eldense’s current majority shareholder.
Club officials stated that the deal remains subject to final legal and contractual procedures, due diligence, and approval from Spain’s High Council for Sports. No completion date has been set.
Messi already owns Spanish fifth-tier club UE Cornellà, which he acquired in April. The Eldense deal would give him ownership of a second Spanish club and his first stake in a professional club in Spain’s football pyramid.
Messi recently retired from international football after Argentina’s defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
He remains an active club player with Inter Miami.Eldense are currently 20th in the Segunda División.
The club returned to Spain’s professional divisions in 2023 after years in the regional leagues and was acquired by TH Soluciones in October last year.
Bezos among new wave of football investors
Messi’s move comes amid a series of high-profile investments in football clubs by wealthy individuals and current or former players.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is part of a consortium led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia that agreed in August to acquire a minority stake in Liverpool from Fenway Sports Group.
AFP reported that the consortium’s investment values Liverpool at between £5 billion and £6 billion. The group also includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, while FSG retains control of the Premier League club. The investment is Bezos’s first in a sports team.
The Liverpool deal follows other recent moves by football stars into club ownership, which have been widely documented by European sports media.
Real Madrid forward Vinícius Jr was part of an investment group that FC Alverca confirmed acquired a majority stake in the Portuguese club, while Kylian Mbappé became the main shareholder of French club SM Caen, according to announcements by the club and Interconnected Ventures.
Former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué owns Spanish-system club FC Andorra via his firm Kosmos Holding.
For Messi, the Eldense deal marks another step into football ownership while he continues his playing career. He is also expected to receive a stake in Inter Miami when his playing contract ends. -