Lionel Messi Makes Bold Career Move That Could Spark Stunning Return to Spain

Lionel Messi has reportedly struck a preliminary deal to take ownership of La Liga 2 club CD Eldense, as he continues laying the groundwork for his life after football.

The Argentine soccer icon recently confirmed his retirement from international competition, and his departure from club football — where he currently suits up for MLS outfit Inter Miami — is expected to follow within the coming years.

The exact figure Messi paid for the modest Spanish club has not yet been disclosed, but the former Barcelona superstar negotiated a deal with Colombian investment group TH to purchase 100% of Eldense's shares. With the agreement in place, the only remaining steps before the takeover becomes official are an audit and approval from Spain's Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD).

Situated in the city of Elda in the Alicante province of southeastern Spain, Eldense boast a storied history stretching back more than a hundred years. The club was established in 1921 by a group of Barcelona supporters living in the area, meaning Messi's new side will also wear the Blaugrana colors he donned throughout so much of his illustrious career.

While the club has never featured in La Liga and remains community-based, Messi's involvement is expected to significantly raise the profile of both the club and the city.

"We have to feel, once again, very proud of our city and the team that represents us: Eldense," Elda Mayor Rubén Alfaro said, via AS. "Because the fact that a figure like Leo Messi notices us and has the intention of betting on the team and on Elda is, obviously, spectacular news."

Lionel Messi's Growing Ownership Empire

Messi has never hidden his desire to move into ownership once his playing days are behind him, repeatedly expressing a preference for running a club over pursuing a career in management. He continues to torment MLS defenses to this day, but has already built a solid foundation for a post-retirement role in the front office.

Eldense would become the first club Messi owns outright, though he also holds ownership stakes in four other teams across four different countries.

Earlier this year, Messi acquired a majority stake in Catalan club UD Cornella, a side currently competing in Spain's fifth division and widely recognized for nurturing young talent. He also holds a controlling interest in Argentine club Leones FC, based in his hometown of Rosario — a fourth-tier side managed largely by his family, particularly his brother Matías. Leones FC was the first club Messi joined as an owner, back in 2015.

Un sueño más que se hace realidad, hoy nace @DeportivoLSM 💚 pic.twitter.com/4sIjgkRW3O

Together with teammate and close friend Luis Suárez, Messi co-founded Deportivo LSM in 2025, a newly established Uruguayan club. Additionally, Messi holds shares in Inter Miami and is set to formally join the club's ownership group upon his retirement, as outlined in the contract he signed when he arrived in 2023.

Eldense, however, marks the first professional club Messi will own in the country where he spent most of his life, as Cornella is classified as amateur due to their fifth-division status.

The stage is set for Messi's return to Spain.