Rabat – CD Eldense announced on Thursday that Lionel Messi has agreed to buy the Spanish second-division club, pending official regulatory approval.
This marks Messi’s second Spanish club purchase this year, following his acquisition of UE Cornellà in April.
The former Barcelona star reached a deal last month to purchase all shares previously held by a Colombian investment group.
“Club Deportivo Eldense officially announces the acquisition of the club by Leo Messi, marking the start of a new and exciting chapter in the club’s history, which spans more than a hundred years,” the club announced on Thursday.
“The arrival of one of the most important figures in the history of sport as owner of CD Eldense marks the beginning of a long-term project aimed at promoting the club’s sporting, institutional, and social development.”
The team currently sits 19th in Spain’s second tier, with just five points and one victory from seven matches.
The 2022 World Cup winner currently plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, having retired from international football with Argentina in August.
The deal is now official after the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner initially reached a preliminary agreement to buy CD Eldense in September.
Messi moved from Argentina to Spain at age 13 before making his Barcelona first-team debut in October 2004 as a 17-year-old.
During his time at Barcelona, he scored a record-breaking 672 goals in 778 matches. He then moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 before joining MLS club Inter Miami in 2023.
The purchase adds to Messi’s growing sports business ventures as he continues his playing career in MLS.
With the regulatory process now underway, CD Eldense will look to stabilize their league performance under new ownership.
