Lionel Messi Set to Own CD Eldense: A New Chapter in Football

Lionel Messi is set to become the outright owner of CD Eldense, adding another club to a rapidly growing football empire that now stretches across Spain and South America.

According to reports in Spain, the Inter Miami star has reached an agreement in principle to buy 100 per cent of the Segunda Division side’s shares, with no third-party partners involved. The deal is understood to be in its final phase, pending the green light from Spain’s Higher Sports Council (CSD) once due diligence is complete in the coming days.

From investment fund to Messi control

Eldense, based in Elda in the province of Alicante, has already changed hands once in recent years. An international investment group led by businessman Juan Carlos Trujillo took control of the club after purchasing it from Pascual Perez in October 2025.

That project now looks set to give way to one of the most recognisable names in football.

Argentine investor Ricardo Pini had recently pushed to take over Eldense with a €12 million offer, and negotiations had been progressing around that proposal. Then Messi’s camp stepped in. His sudden arrival at the table dramatically altered the landscape, effectively hijacking the process and putting him on course to secure ownership of the club nestled in southeastern Spain, not far from Catalonia.

A growing Messi football network

This is not an isolated move. It is part of a clear strategy.

Earlier this year, the Messi family completed the acquisition of UE Cornella, a club competing in the Spanish fifth tier. That purchase was seen as a first step into the structural side of the game in Spain, giving the family a base for talent development and sporting projects.

Messi has also teamed up with close friend Luis Suarez to buy Uruguayan side Deportivo LSM, extending their reach into South American football. On top of that, the family already exerts influence at Lions FC, where Messi’s brother Matias serves as club president.

Piece by piece, a network is forming: multiple clubs, different levels, different countries, all under the guidance and brand power of one of the sport’s greatest figures.

Eldense in trouble on the pitch

While the boardroom story dominates the headlines, life on the pitch at Eldense is far from comfortable.

The club recently dismissed head coach Claudio Barragan after a miserable start to the season that yielded just two points from their opening four matches. That run left Eldense sliding early in the Segunda Division standings and triggered urgent discussions about the direction of the team.

The hierarchy now faces a crucial decision over the next appointment in the dugout, with pressure growing to stabilise results before the season drifts into a relegation battle.

Messi’s imminent arrival as majority shareholder is expected to change the financial and strategic outlook. Fresh investment should give Eldense stronger footing in the market, while a clearer long-term plan could emerge under the Messi banner.

The question now is simple: how quickly can one of football’s greatest players turn his influence off the pitch into a revival for a club fighting to keep its place in Spain’s second tier?