Messi agrees to buy second Spanish club after Argentina retirement

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(FILES) Inter Miami’s Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates a goal during a Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season football match between Inter Miami CF and Orlando City SC at NU Stadium in Miami, on May 2, 2026. Argentine football player Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid player in MLS, according to an updated salary list released on May 12, 2026, which revealed the salaries of new arrivals such as James Rodriguez, German Berterame, and Timo Werner. (Photo by Giorgio Viera / AFP)

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become majority shareholder of Spanish second-tier club Eldense, days after ending his Argentina international career.

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According to the BBC, Eldense confirmed the agreement with Messi for the acquisition of shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones, which would make the 39-year-old majority shareholder.

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The transaction remains subject to legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence and approval from Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD).

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The proposed takeover would make Eldense the second Spanish club Messi has invested in after he acquired fifth-tier Catalan side Cornella in April.

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Messi recently retired from international football after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, bringing his illustrious career with the national team to an end.

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Eldense are currently 20th in La Liga 2 with two points from four matches and parted ways with coach Claudio Barragan earlier this week.

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The club, based in Alicante, have risen through Spain’s lower divisions and have competed in the second tier in three of the past four seasons.

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Messi left Argentina for Spain at 13 and made his Barcelona first-team debut at 17 in 2004. He went on to score a club-record 672 goals in 778 appearances for the Catalan giants before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and Inter Miami in 2023.

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His move into Spanish club ownership follows a growing trend among high-profile football figures. Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique’s Kosmos group owns second-tier Andorra, while Real Madrid forwards Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are part of investment groups holding majority stakes in clubs in Portugal and France.

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Messi’s former Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo also owns a 25% stake in Spanish side Almeria.

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