Lionel Messi's Full Takeover of CD Eldense: What to Expect
Lionel Messi is set to step even deeper into the boardroom.
The Inter Miami star has reportedly reached an agreement in principle to complete a full takeover of Spanish club CD Eldense, who play in the Segunda Division. As reported by Marca, Messi is poised to acquire 100 per cent of the club’s shares, with no third-party partners involved, once the ongoing due diligence process is signed off.
All that stands between him and control of the Alicante-based side is formal ratification from Spain’s Higher Sports Council (CSD), expected in the coming days. Once that arrives, Eldense will effectively become the latest piece in an increasingly ambitious family football empire.
Eldense’s ownership reshuffle
Eldense have already lived through one major ownership change this decade. An international investment group led by businessman Juan Carlos Trujillo took charge after buying the club from Pascual Perez in October 2025, steering the Elda outfit through a new phase off the pitch.
This year brought fresh interest. Argentine investor Ricardo Pini put forward a proposed €12 million offer, a move that had positioned him as the likely next owner. Then Messi appeared on the scene.
His sudden intervention changed the landscape of negotiations, pushing Pini’s bid into the background and placing the Argentina captain on course to secure the club based in Elda, not far from Catalonia. Talks quickly swung in his favour, and the agreement in principle now leaves him just a signature away from full control.
Building a football empire
This is not an isolated play. It is part of a clear strategy.
Earlier this year, the Messi family added Spanish fifth-tier side UE Cornella to their portfolio, giving them a foothold in player development and lower-league structures in Spain. The forward has also teamed up with close friend Luis Suarez to purchase Uruguayan outfit Deportivo LSM, extending their reach into South American football.
Their influence does not stop there. The family’s presence in the game’s governance already includes Lions FC, where Messi’s brother Matias serves as club president. Eldense, if and when the takeover is ratified, would represent another step up: a fully owned club in Spain’s professional second tier, with the visibility and pressure that brings.
Turmoil on the pitch
While the paperwork moves through Madrid, Eldense are struggling where it matters most.
The club recently parted company with head coach Claudio Barragan after a dire start to the season yielded just two points from their opening four league fixtures. That return has dragged them into early trouble in the Segunda Division standings and left the hierarchy scrambling for solutions.
They now face a double challenge: stabilise a faltering team while preparing for a seismic shift in ownership. The search for a swift replacement in the dugout is already urgent. Every dropped point deepens the anxiety around the project.
Messi’s imminent arrival as majority shareholder is expected to bring financial muscle and a sharper strategic direction, resources Eldense badly need if they are to stop the slide and build something sustainable.
If the CSD signs off and the deal closes, the question will move from “Will Messi own Eldense?” to “How quickly can his vision turn a struggling Segunda side into a serious force?”
