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In a development that has electrified the small Spanish city of Elda, Lionel Messi is on the verge of becoming the new owner of CD Eldense, a club competing in Spain's second division, known as Segunda. The Athletic first reported on September 9 that the Inter Miami star had reached a principle agreement to acquire the side. On Thursday evening, Eldense released a statement confirming that Leo Messi had purchased the club, heralding a fresh and thrilling era.
While the acquisition still requires approval from Spain's High Council for Sports (CSD), Messi is poised to take full ownership of the modest club situated in Elda, a town of 55,000 residents in the province of Alicante, located in southeastern Spain. The 38-year-old Argentine, who will earn his 208th and final cap for his country in a friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, joins a growing trend of high-profile owners in Spain's second tier, including former Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique and longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
On Friday, Messi shared an image of himself celebrating Eldense's 4-1 victory over Real Oviedo, holding a traditional mate gourd. The Athletic examines how this club has been thrust from obscurity to global attention almost overnight, explores the motivations of these celebrity investors, and considers what lies ahead for Eldense.
Who Are Eldense?
Club Deportivo Eldense was founded in 1921 by a group of Barcelona supporters living in Elda. This origin explains the team's iconic blue and garnet shirts, mirroring Barcelona's famous blaugrana colors. According to sources close to the 2022 World Cup winner, this historical link initially sparked Messi's interest. The club's best league finish came in 1963, when they placed seventh in Segunda. Relegation followed the next season, and the club spent decades in Spain's regional divisions, nearly folding in the late 2010s.
In 2020, local telecom entrepreneur Pascual Perez took over, and within three years, Eldense returned to the second division for the first time in sixty years. They were relegated again in 2025 but immediately bounced back by winning the Primera Federacion (third tier) title last season. Eight games into the current campaign, they sit 15th in the 22-team division with two wins, two draws, and four losses.
Ronaldo and Pique: Big Names in Segunda
Messi's takeover would revive his old rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, this time in the boardroom. The pair dominated the Ballon d'Or from 2008 to 2017 while starring for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. Ronaldo, now playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, holds a 25% stake in Almeria, whose ownership group is led by the Saudi Media Company. Another familiar face in Segunda is Gerard Pique, whom Messi first met at Barcelona's La Masia academy at age 13. Pique's company Kosmos has been the majority owner of FC Andorra since December 2018, guiding them to the second division.
Pere Guardiola, brother of Messi's former Barcelona manager Pep, holds a minority share in Girona, alongside Abu Dhabi's City Football Group (47%) and Bolivian-American businessman Marcelo Claure (35%). Real Mallorca's majority shareholder is Andy Kohlberg, also a minority owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns. Other Segunda clubs feature diverse ownership: Castellon is owned by Greek-Canadian Haralabos Voulgaris, U.S. businessman Ben Harburg has a minority stake in Cadiz, and Real Oviedo is majority-owned by Mexico's Grupo Pachuca. Sporting Gijon is part of Orlegi Sports, Burgos is owned by Argentine Marcelo Figoli, Cordoba by Bahrain-based Infinity Capital, Leganes by Dubai's 885 Capital, and Granada is being acquired by North American fund Big League Advantage from China's Wuhan DDMC. Additionally, Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami, is a shareholder at Real Zaragoza.
Why Segunda Clubs Are in Vogue
Interest in Spanish second-tier sides has surged over the past five years. These clubs are seen as relatively affordable compared to La Liga or England's Championship, and La Liga's strict financial regulations offer stability. Eldense's operational income in 2024-25 was €9.3 million, with a squad valued at €11.7 million. The club has a staff cost to revenue ratio of 66% and no historical debts. Their 5,776-capacity Nuevo Pepico Amat stadium is municipally owned.
"The reported €10m to €15m price appears to be supported primarily by the club's recent Segunda status, its recurring revenues and the value of its playing squad, rather than real estate or other tangible assets," Antonio Di Cianni, director of advisory at Football Benchmark, told The Athletic. "The investment case would, however, depend on Messi's expectations around future sporting performance, potential promotion to La Liga and the resulting upside in broadcasting and commercial revenues such as matchday and player trading."
The ultimate goal for investors is promotion to Spain's top flight, where clubs can compete with stars like Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Rodri, and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham. "Most clubs are profitable and sustainable only in Primera; lower-division clubs often make trading losses," Claudio Hoyos of Cuatrecasas told The Athletic. "Investors look to buy an asset in Segunda with the objective of improving the management, maybe use data to sign players, and in future, getting promotion. Then the asset grows in value—not just in TV rights, but sponsors, ticketing."
Transfer trading is a key revenue source. Almeria, under Saudi ownership, has profited from sales like Darwin Nunez (€34m to Benfica in 2020), El Bilal Toure (€30m to Atalanta in 2023), and Marc Pubill (€16m to Atletico Madrid in 2025). "Spain provides an attractive platform for talent recruitment and development, through its network of academies and youth teams," Di Cianni said. "Spanish football has longstanding ties with South America—investors in clubs including Oviedo, Leganes and Zaragoza have used Spanish clubs to create a transatlantic pathway for players and football expertise. Spanish registration rules can offer greater flexibility for non-EU talent, and it has geographical proximity to North African markets."
Some industry sources noted that Eldense was not an obvious takeover target, as international investors often prefer more historic clubs with larger fanbases. But Hoyos sees advantages in starting small. "Messi's name could attract players and sponsors to the club," he said. "It's a bit like starting from zero. Oviedo or Gijon would be different, due to their history and brands. He could build his own story, if it goes well, like Andorra and Pique. Now if you think of Eldense, it will be because of Messi."
Messi's Connection to Spain
Messi left his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, at 13 to join Barcelona's La Masia academy, where he developed into arguably the greatest player in history. The record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner made 778 appearances for Barcelona's first team, scoring 672 goals and winning numerous trophies, including 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues. He joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 after Barcelona could not renew his contract due to financial issues, and since 2023, he has played for Inter Miami in MLS. The 39-year-old maintains a strong emotional bond with Barcelona and has a home nearby. Last November, he made a surprise visit to check on the Camp Nou stadium's renovation.
Messi Already Owns a Spanish Club
Yes, in April, Messi purchased UE Cornella, located on the outskirts of Barcelona. The Catalan club plays in the Tercera Federacion (fifth tier) and is known for developing talent like Jordi Alba, David Raya, and Gerard Martin. Sources say Eldense's higher position in the Spanish football pyramid was a major factor in this new deal.
Eldense's Season So Far
Recent weeks have seen significant changes at Eldense. Eighteen players were signed during the summer transfer window, all as free agents or loanees. On September 6, coach Claudio Barragan, who led the team to promotion last season, was sacked just four games into the new campaign. A week later, after Messi's arrival was made public, Eldense won their first game under interim manager Josep Ferrando. Messi fueled fan enthusiasm by liking the club's Instagram post celebrating the victory. Former Villarreal, Levante, Alaves, and Oviedo manager Javier Calleja, 48, was appointed full-time coach the following week.
"(Sporting director) Victor Lafuente and (chief executive) Mario Rosas told me what is coming at the club with Messi as the new owner, and that he is very involved," Calleja said at his unveiling on September 17, as quoted by AS. "They presented an exciting and motivating project. That was key for me. It's a humble club, but Messi is a guarantee of growth." Calleja's first two games brought narrow defeats to Eibar (2-1 at home) and Burgos (1-0 away) before Friday's big win, leaving them 15th in the second division.
Takeover Process Status
Former Eldense president Carolina Holguin Tafur officially stepped down on September 17, paving the way for new leadership. However, hurdles remain for the CSD to approve the sale. Spain's Ley de Deporte prohibits anyone who owns one football club from purchasing more than 5% of another to avoid conflicts of interest. Eldense and Cornella are at different levels but could meet in the Copa del Rey, and their youth sides compete at the same level. Also, former owner Perez moved to legally block the sale amid a dispute with current ownership, Grupo TH Soluciones.
Sources familiar with the deal say legal issues between past owners will not affect Messi's purchase and that a solution to the 'two clubs' issue will be found, though details remain unspecified. These sources are confident the deal will be finalized soon but respect the CSD's processes. CSD sources told The Athletic on Friday that they had yet to receive official authorization for the operation.
Originally reported by theathleticuk.