Lionel Messi’s first victory in Spain away from the Barcelona badge came as his new club, CD Eldense, recorded a 4-1 victory over Real Oviedo in the Segunda Division.
Messi, who is currently captain of Inter Miami, became the sole owner of the Alicante-based club on Thursday, acquiring 100% of the Spanish second-tier side. The takeover marks a historic change for a team with more than 100 years of history and begins a new chapter under one of football’s most celebrated players.
Around 24 hours after the deal was officially announced, Messi posted an image on his Instagram story showing him following Eldense’s first match since the takeover. He watched the game on a laptop as the club produced an impressive result against Real Oviedo, who were recently relegated from La Liga.
The match took place in the eighth round of the season and gave Eldense only their second league win of the campaign. They have also drawn two matches and lost four, leaving them 15th in the table with eight points.
A post by Fabrizio Romano on 2 October 2026 showed Messi following the match, with the caption: “Lionel Messi, on his laptop to follow his new club CD Eldense against Real Oviedo. Messi bought the club on Thursday owning 100% of the Segunda Division side from Spain. Eldense won 4-1 tonight.”
Founded in 1921, Eldense are now preparing for a more ambitious period under Messi’s ownership, with promotion to La Liga an obvious long-term objective. It is the division in which Messi achieved most of his success during his Barcelona career.
The Alicante club currently face a significant gap to the leading teams. Castellon sit top of the table with 19 points, while Eibar are second on 18. Eldense have eight points, but the club’s new era has begun with a result that offers an early boost to their hopes of changing the direction of their season.
