Lionel Messi Reaches Preliminary Agreement to Become Eldense Majority Shareholder

Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become the majority shareholder of CD Eldense, the Spanish second-tier club said. BBC Sport reported the development on Wednesday, while Spanish news agency EFE said sources close to the operation had confirmed the agreement with the club's current owners. The transaction has not yet been completed.

Eldense said the agreement covers the shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones and would leave Messi as the club's controlling shareholder. The club stressed that the deal remains subject to the completion of legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence. Approval from Spain's Consejo Superior de Deportes, the country's national sports authority, is also required before the change can be finalized.

The Elda city council separately confirmed the preliminary agreement after contact with Messi's representatives and Eldense president Carolina Holguín, according to Europa Press. Mayor Rubén Alfaro urged patience while the process continues, noting that confidentiality and the remaining formalities must be respected. No purchase price or firm completion date has been announced.

The proposed takeover comes during a difficult opening to Eldense's league campaign. BBC Sport reported that the Alicante-based side has collected two points from its first four matches and sits 20th in La Liga 2. Eldense also parted company with head coach Claudio Barragán earlier this week, adding an immediate sporting decision to the potential ownership transition.

If completed, the acquisition would expand Messi's investment in Spanish football. BBC Sport reported that he bought Catalan club UE Cornellà in April. Cornellà plays in Spain's fifth tier, while Eldense competes in the fully professional second division, making the pending deal a step into a higher level of club ownership.

Messi, 39, remains a player for Inter Miami after recently retiring from international football. He spent most of his senior club career at Barcelona, where he scored a club-record 672 goals in 778 appearances, before spells with Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. For now, however, Eldense's announcement represents an agreement in principle rather than a completed sale, with regulatory and contractual conditions still outstanding.