English Premier League
Lionel Messi announced as new owner of Spanish club Eldense
Lionel Messi has been announced as the new owner of Spanish club Eldense, marking a significant change for the Alicante-based side and opening a new chapter in its more than 100-year history.
Eldense confirmed on Thursday that the Argentina great had taken control of the club, describing him as “one of the most important figures in the history of sport” to enter Spanish professional football in an ownership role.
The club said Messi’s arrival represented the beginning of a project built around a “long-term vision”, with the aim of strengthening Eldense’s sporting, institutional and social development.
Messi, who made football history during his time with FC Barcelona, is now set to begin a new association with the Spanish game away from the pitch. The project is intended to help Eldense continue progressing both on and off the field.
Founded in 1921, Eldense said it wanted the next stage of its development to be defined by ambition while preserving the club’s identity. Its stated objective is to establish and grow within professional football without losing the characteristics that have shaped its history.
The Alicante club said the plan would seek to “highlight its roots, its history and its blue-and-crimson feeling”, linking Messi’s arrival to an expansion project while maintaining the heritage it has built over more than a century.
Acquisition awaits Spanish Sports Council approval
Despite the official announcement, the takeover has not yet been completed. Eldense said the agreement remained subject to “the required authorisation from the Spanish Sports Council”, in accordance with Spanish sports law.
That means Messi’s ownership has been announced by the club but is still conditional on the necessary approval being granted. The outstanding requirement was reported by the Catalan newspaper Sport.
Once the administrative process has been completed, Messi will be able to formally begin his tenure at Eldense. The club said the project’s central purpose would remain to establish and grow within professional football.
The announcement represents a return to the Spanish football landscape for Messi, this time as an owner, and gives Eldense a new direction while the club continues to emphasise its existing identity and history.