Messi agrees to buy second Spanish club

What the report says

Spanish second-division club Eldense said Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become its majority shareholder, pending legal and contractual steps. According to the club, the deal would involve acquiring shares currently held by Grupo TH Soluciones and would still need due diligence and approval from Spain’s National Sports Council. The announcement was published by BBC Sport Football and is dated recently, though the exact completion date remains unclear.

If completed, Eldense would be the second Spanish club Messi has invested in, after Catalan side Cornella, which he bought in April. Eldense is based in Alicante and is competing in La Liga 2, where it has struggled early in the season and recently changed head coach. BBC Sport also noted that Messi currently plays for Inter Miami and has retired from international duty.

The development highlights Messi’s growing off-field involvement in club ownership after a career built largely in Spain with Barcelona, where he spent most of his playing years before later moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. More broadly, the move fits a wider pattern of high-profile footballers investing in clubs, including Cristiano Ronaldo’s reported stake in Almeria. BBC Sport said it had contacted Messi for comment.