Messi Expands Football Ownership as Argentina Career Nears End

What changed

Lionel Messi is preparing to play his final match for Argentina, against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental, in what would be his 208th appearance for the national team.

His club career is set to continue. Messi’s Inter Miami contract runs through the 2028 season, with yearly reviews, while his football ownership plans are growing:

• He bought fifth-tier UE Cornellà in April.
• CD Eldense announced him as its new owner on 1 October, pending approval from Spain’s sports council.
• He and Luis Suárez founded Deportivo LSM in Uruguay in May 2025.

Why it matters

Messi is not simply moving from playing football to watching it from a private box. He wants ownership to keep him close to the decisions: managers, recruitment and the direction of the clubs he controls.

Eldense is the clearest test. Its immediate aim is avoiding relegation, and former Villarreal manager Javi Calleja has been appointed. Messi is already following matches closely and celebrated a 4-1 win over Real Oviedo with an “Aupa Deportivo” Instagram post.

His name has also changed the club’s commercial pull. Around a dozen sponsors approached Eldense within days of the ownership announcement, including brands that had previously failed to agree deals with the former owners.

The uncertainty is practical rather than sentimental. Messi may renew with Inter Miami if he remains physically and mentally willing, but Eldense still needs authorisation from the CSD, and it is not yet clear how directly he will run the clubs. What is clear is the direction: Argentina is closing one chapter, while Messi is building a football operation that could keep his influence on the game growing long after his international career ends.