Lionel Messi now owns two Spanish football clubs. CD Eldense confirmed on Thursday that the Argentine has completed his acquisition of the Segunda División side, buying out the Colombian investment group that previously held majority control.
"The start of a new and exciting chapter in the club's history," Eldense called it. The club was founded in 1921, so that's over a century of history now operating under the orbit of one of the sport's most recognisable names.
The situation on the pitch is less glamorous
Eldense are 19th in the second tier after losing four of their first seven matches. Messi is walking into a relegation battle, not a trophy hunt. Whether the ownership change translates to anything meaningful on the pitch this season is genuinely unclear — Spain's salary-limit regulations put a hard ceiling on what the club can do in the market, regardless of who signs the cheques. The new ownership provides a story, not necessarily a squad.
That context matters for anyone tracking Eldense's relegation odds. A high-profile takeover doesn't move the needle the way a January transfer window can. The underlying squad is still the underlying squad.
This is Messi's second Spanish acquisition in under six months. He bought fifth-tier UE Cornellà in April — a grassroots club with a notable pipeline into Barcelona's academy system. Eldense is a different proposition: a professional second-tier side with real promotion and relegation stakes. The portfolio is starting to take shape.
A growing trend among elite players
Messi is part of a wider shift in how top footballers are positioning themselves post-playing career. Gerard Piquè's Kosmos group runs Andorra — also in the Segunda. Vinícius Jr and Kylian Mbappé hold stakes in Alverca and SM Caen respectively. The multi-club ownership model that clubs like City Football Group pioneered is now being replicated at the individual player level.
Messi is also due a stake in Inter Miami once his playing contract expires. By the time he stops playing, he'll have built a football ownership portfolio that spans at least three clubs across two continents.
Eldense will just hope they're still in the second tier when that chapter arrives.
