Messi Set to Become Majority Owner of Eldense
The Inter Miami star has reached a preliminary deal to buy Segunda División strugglers Eldense, pending approval from Spain's Sports Council.
Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become majority owner of Eldense, a club sitting in the relegation zone of Spain's Segunda División.
The deal still needs sign-off from the Spanish National Sports Council before it is completed.
Grupo TH, led by president Carolina Holguín and chief executive Juan Carlos Trujillo, had owned Eldense for barely 11 months, having bought the club from local businessman Pascual Pérez. By all accounts, Holguín and Trujillo had been considering a sale for several months following the club's promotion to Segunda División. A group of Argentine investors fronted by lawyer Ricardo Pini, a close associate of Elche owner Christian Bragarnik, had also circled the club before Messi's move overtook that process.
Eldense, founded in 1921 and playing at the 5,776-capacity Estadio Nuevo Pepico Amat, were promoted to the second tier in 2023 for the first time since 1964. They currently sit 20th in the 22-team division on two points from four matches, with Rodrigo Val Puertolas their top scorer on two goals.
The deal would make Eldense the second Spanish club in Messi's portfolio, after he bought a 100% stake in fifth-division side Cornella in April Women. Ownership of the two clubs is not expected to cause a conflict, since regulations only bar common ownership when clubs meet in the same category or both sit in LaLiga's top two divisions — not currently a concern given the gap between Segunda División and Tercera Federación.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds a 25% stake in fellow Segunda División side Almeria, who currently sit 12th in the table. Should the Eldense takeover go through, the two clubs are set to meet in match-week 37 of the season, on 2 May 2027, at Eldense's ground — a first competitive meeting between clubs linked to Messi and Ronaldo.
He continues to play for Inter Miami, where he leads Major League Soccer with 18 goals and 12 assists as the club sits second in the Eastern Conference on 43 points from 23 games.
If the Sports Council approves the purchase, Messi's off-pitch interests will span six clubs, from Inter Miami to Uruguay's Deportivo LSM and Argentina's Leones de Rosario, alongside his esports venture with Sergio Agüero. For Eldense, currently without a win this season, the takeover brings resources and attention their position in the table has so far given them little of.
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