Lionel Messi, the legendary Argentine footballer, has reached a preliminary agreement to become the majority shareholder of Spanish second-division club Eldense. This marks Messi's second investment in a Spanish club, following his acquisition of Cornella in April.

The announcement comes as Eldense, currently struggling in La Liga 2 with only two points from four games and sitting at the bottom of the league, has recently parted ways with head coach Claudio Barragan.

Eldense stated:

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.

• The deal hinges on completing legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence and authorization from the Spanish National Sports Council (CSD).

At 39, Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami, recently retired from international football after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. His journey in football began in Spain when he moved there at the age of 13, debuting for Barcelona at 17 in 2004. Over his illustrious career, he scored a record 672 goals in 778 games for the club before moving to Paris St-Germain in 2021 and then to Major League Soccer in 2023.

The ownership of Cornella, a fifth-tier club, has been described as reinforcing Messi's ties to Barcelona and his commitment to developing local talent in Catalonia. BBC Sport has sought comment from Messi regarding his latest venture.