Full Breakdown
Lionel Messi Nears Majority Ownership of Spanish Segunda División Club CD Eldense
9/9/2026, 8:14:35 PM
Core Event: Preliminary Agreement to Acquire Eldense
Argentina’s eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to purchase 100 percent of the shares of CD Eldense, a club that competes in Spain’s Segunda División. The deal would transfer ownership from the Colombian investment group Grupo TH Soluciones Group S.A.S. to Messi, subject to the completion of due-diligence, final legal procedures and approval by the Spanish National Sports Council (CSD).
Background & Context
Messi, 39, joined Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami in 2023 after a stint at Paris Saint-Germain. Earlier in 2026 he bought UE Cornellà, a Catalan club playing in the fifth tier of Spanish football. The Eldense acquisition would be his first investment in a professional Spanish league, moving him from semi-professional ownership to a fully professional environment. Eldense, founded in 1921 and based in the Alicante-province town of Elda, returned to the Segunda División for the 2026-27 season after winning promotion as Primera Federación champions in May 2026.
Data & Statistics
- League position: 20th in the 22-team Segunda División, with two points from four matches.
- Recent performance: No wins in the opening four games; head coach Claudio Barragán was dismissed and assistant Josep Ferrando placed in interim charge.
- Stadium: Estadio Nuevo Pepico Amat, capacity 5,776.
- Ownership: Current majority shareholder Grupo TH Soluciones Group S.A.S., which took control in October 2025.
- Previous Messi investment: UE Cornellà (fifth tier) purchased on April 16, 2026.
Official Statements & Responses
CD Eldense confirmed that a “preliminary agreement” with Messi has been reached for the acquisition of the shares held by Grupo TH Soluciones. The club emphasized that the transaction remains subject to the completion of the remaining legal and contractual procedures, including due-diligence, and to mandatory authorisation from the CSD. No fixed completion date was provided.
Messi’s camp has not issued a public comment, and Grupo TH Soluciones has not responded to requests for comment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “At this time, the operation is pending completion of the final legal and contractual procedures, including the corresponding due diligence process, as well as the mandatory authorisation from the High Council for Sports (CSD),” — Wednesday. Eldense
- “A preliminary agreement has been reached with Lionel Messi for the acquisition of the shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones, which would make him the club's majority shareholder.” — Wednesday. Eldense
- “At this time, the operation is pending completion of the final legal and contractual procedures, including the corresponding due diligence process, as well as the mandatory authorization from the High Council for Sports (CSD),” — Wednesday. Eldense
What’s Next
The pending steps are: (1) final due-diligence by both parties, (2) execution of the remaining legal and contractual paperwork, and approval from the High Council for Sports (CSD). Sources indicate that the clubs expect an announcement “in the coming days,” but no exact date has been set. If the approval is granted, Messi will become the majority shareholder of Eldense, marking his first ownership of a professional Spanish club while he continues to play for Inter Miami under a contract that runs through 2028.
