Lionel Messi agrees to buy second club in Spain

Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to take over Spanish second-division side Eldense, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Eldense are currently owned by the Colombian investment group Grupo TH, which also have clubs in Colombia and Switzerland.

The deal is still subject to completion of due diligence and the required approval from Spain's National Sports Council (CSD).

If finalised, Eldense would become the second club to be owned by Barcelona and Argentina legend Messi in Spain.

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that he had bought fifth-division team Cornellà, who are based in Barcelona.

Eldense, however, would become the first professional club in the country in which he has invested -- Cornellà remain semi-professional.

Messi, 39, is also partially involved alongside Miami teammate Luis Suárez in Uruguay side Deportivo LSM.

Ownership of Eldense and Cornellà is unlikely to pose problems in the immediate future with the two teams separated by three divisions.

It would remain to be seen, though, whether it will limit Messi's ambitions with Cornellà, given the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] would be unlikely to allow both teams to compete in the same division should Messi be the majority shareholder of both.

Eldense, founded in 1921, have spent most of their history outside the top two divisions of Spanish football.

They were promoted to the second tier for the first time since 1964 in 2023, relegated in 2025 and returned this past summer again.

After failing to win any of their four games so far this season, coach Claudio Barragán was sacked earlier this week, leaving the club without a manager.

Eldense play their home games at the Nuevo Pepico Amat, a modest 5,776-capacity stadium in the city of Elda.