Lionel Messi has completed a major deal in Spanish football by becoming the new majority owner of CD Eldense, although the transaction still requires final approval from Spain’s sports authorities.

Lionel Messi completes deal with Spanish club in surprise new role

Lionel Messi has officially completed a major deal in Spanish football, but he will not be returning to Spain as a player.

Spanish second-division club CD Eldense have announced that the Argentina legend has become the club’s new owner.

The move begins a new chapter for Messi away from the pitch as he continues to build his involvement in football ownership.

However, the transaction still requires final approval from Spain’s Higher Sports Council, known as the CSD.

Eldense officially announce Messi

CD Eldense confirmed the news in an official club statement.

The club described Messi’s arrival as the beginning of a new and exciting period in its history.

Founded in 1921, Eldense have been part of Spanish football for more than a century.

The club said Messi’s project will have a long-term vision and will focus on sporting, institutional and social development.

Messi is now entering professional Spanish football in a completely different role: as an owner.

Messi becomes majority owner

Messi has acquired the shares previously controlled by Colombian investment group TH Soluciones Group S.A.S.

The agreement makes him the new majority owner of Eldense.

Reports about the deal had first appeared several weeks earlier, when Eldense confirmed that an agreement in principle had been reached.

Now the club has officially announced the change of ownership.

The final administrative step is approval from the CSD under Spanish sports law.

Messi is not joining Eldense as a player

The announcement has created excitement because it connects Messi with Spanish football again.

But there is an important clarification.

Messi has not signed for Eldense as a player.

He remains an Inter Miami footballer and the new agreement is related to club ownership.

Therefore, reports describing the move simply as a “transfer to a Spanish club” could create the wrong impression.

Instead, Messi is returning to the Spanish football system as an investor and owner.

A new chapter after Barcelona

Spain will always have a special place in Messi’s career.

He spent most of his professional life at Barcelona and became one of the greatest players in the club’s history.

After leaving Barça, Messi played for Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Inter Miami.

Now he has strengthened his connection with Spanish football in a completely different way.

Rather than scoring goals for a Spanish club, Messi will now help shape the future of one from behind the scenes.

Second Spanish club investment in 2026

Eldense is not Messi’s first move into Spanish club ownership.

Earlier in 2026, he also became involved with UE Cornellà.

The Eldense acquisition therefore represents another major step in his growing football business portfolio.

It also offers a possible picture of Messi’s life after his playing career eventually comes to an end.

Club ownership could become an important part of the next stage of his football journey.

Eldense facing difficult season

Messi arrives at an important moment for the club.

Eldense have struggled during the opening weeks of the Segunda División season.

They recorded only one victory from their first seven league matches and have been fighting near the bottom of the table.

The club will therefore hope that the new ownership can bring stability and help create stronger foundations for the future.

Messi’s name also gives Eldense a level of international attention the club has rarely experienced before.

Long-term project planned

Eldense have made clear that Messi’s arrival is not being presented as a short-term publicity move.

The club described the new ownership as a project with a long-term vision.

The aim is to improve different parts of the organisation while helping Eldense establish themselves in professional football.

The project will focus not only on results on the pitch but also on the club’s institutional and social development.

That suggests Messi’s role could go far beyond simply investing money in the team.

Final approval still required

Despite the official announcement, one legal step remains.

The transaction must receive the required approval from Spain’s CSD.

This is part of the regulatory process surrounding changes in ownership at professional sports clubs.

There is currently no indication that Messi will begin playing for Eldense or leave Inter Miami because of the deal.

For now, his roles as footballer and club owner remain separate.

Messi begins building his future beyond playing

The deal gives another clue about Messi’s plans for life beyond his playing career.

For more than two decades, his influence in football has come mainly from what he has done on the pitch.

Now that influence is beginning to expand into club ownership.

Taking control of Eldense gives Messi the opportunity to help develop a professional club and build a project with his own long-term vision.

And while this is not the playing return to Spain some supporters may have imagined, Messi is officially back inside Spanish professional football in a major new role.