Messi owns us now — Spanish club announce as Ronaldo rivalry takes new shape

Lionel Messi’s rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo has taken another unexpected turn after the Argentine superstar was announced as the new owner of Spanish club CD Eldense.

Messi’s acquisition marks a new chapter for Eldense, a club founded in 1921 that has spent much of its history in Spain’s lower divisions.

Eldense announced Messi’s arrival as owner in a statement celebrating what it described as a “new and exciting stage” in the club’s more than 100-year history.

The club, based in Elda in Alicante, has competed in the Segunda División during three of the past four seasons after establishing itself among Spain’s professional ranks.

Messi’s project is expected to focus on the club’s sporting, institutional and social development while maintaining its local identity and history.

The Argentine has already expanded his involvement in Spanish football this year after acquiring fifth-tier club UE Cornellà on April 16. His Eldense takeover now represents a significant step up in terms of the level at which his Spanish football interests operate.

Messi is also expected to receive a stake in Inter Miami once his playing contract with the MLS club comes to an end.

For years, Messi and Ronaldo competed for supremacy on the pitch with Barcelona and Real Madrid, producing one of football’s defining rivalries.

Their latest battle is taking place in a very different setting.

Ronaldo has also invested in Spanish football, acquiring a stake in Almería, who compete in the same second-tier division as Eldense. Messi’s takeover therefore places the two legendary forwards in direct competition as club owners in Spain.

The Portuguese star became involved with Almería after purchasing a controlling stake in the club, adding football ownership to his growing business portfolio.

Now Messi has followed a similar route with Eldense, creating an unusual continuation of their rivalry long after their famous battles in La Liga have ended.

With both superstars now connected to Segunda División clubs, Spanish football could be about to witness a new chapter of the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry — this time from the directors’ box rather than the pitch.