Lionel Messi Set to Acquire CD Eldense: A New Era in Football Governance
Lionel Messi is set to become the outright owner of Spanish club CD Eldense, stepping far beyond the role of global superstar and deep into the heart of football governance.
According to reports in Spain, the Inter Miami forward has reached an agreement in principle to acquire 100 per cent of Eldense’s shares, with no third-party partners involved. The deal hinges on the completion of due diligence and now sits on the desk of Spain’s Higher Sports Council (CSD), which is expected to formally ratify the takeover in the coming days.
A modest club, a major move
Eldense, based in Elda in the province of Alicante, currently compete in the Segunda Division. Until now, the club have been controlled by an international investment group led by businessman Juan Carlos Trujillo, who took charge after buying out Pascual Perez in October 2025.
That structure looked likely to continue. Argentine investor Ricardo Pini had recently come forward with a €12 million proposal, and negotiations were moving in his direction. Then Messi entered the frame. His sudden appearance at the table changed the dynamic instantly, pushing Pini’s offer to the background and putting the Barcelona legend on course to take full control of the club based just a few hours’ drive from Catalonia.
This is not a vanity dabble. It is a calculated step in a growing portfolio.
The Messi family’s expanding empire
The Eldense deal would mark another significant addition to the Messi family’s expanding footprint in club ownership.
Earlier this year, the family completed the purchase of UE Cornella, a side competing in Spain’s fifth tier, giving them a first structured foothold in Spanish football outside of Messi’s playing days. The Argentina captain has also joined forces with long-time friend and former strike partner Luis Suarez to buy Uruguayan outfit Deportivo LSM, extending their influence into South American football.
The network does not stop there. Lions FC, another part of the family’s sporting interests, is overseen by Messi’s brother Matias, who serves as club president. Piece by piece, the Messis are building an interconnected web of clubs that stretches across different levels and countries, with Eldense poised to become the most high-profile of the lot.
Crisis on the pitch
While the boardroom prepares for a seismic shift, the situation on the pitch is fragile.
Eldense have endured a poor start to the season, collecting just two points from their opening four Segunda Division fixtures. That run cost head coach Claudio Barragan his job, with the club deciding to part ways after the team failed to find any early momentum.
The dismissal has left Eldense scrambling. The hierarchy must now identify a new coach capable of steadying results and dragging the side away from the lower reaches of the table. Every dropped point increases the urgency.
That is where Messi’s imminent arrival looms large. Full ownership would give him and his team the power to reshape the club’s sporting structure, from the dugout to recruitment and long-term planning. The expectation is that fresh investment and a clearer strategic line will follow, giving Eldense a stronger financial base and a more coherent direction at a time when both are badly needed.
For a club fighting to stabilise in the Segunda Division, the prospect is stark: either remain a struggling provincial side, or become the latest test case in Lionel Messi’s vision of what a modern football empire can look like.
