Messi vs Ronaldo: Their Rivalry Moves to the Spanish Second Tier

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have found a new battlefield. Messi's takeover of Segunda Division side CD Eldense puts the two legends in direct competition as club owners — with the first true ownership derby set for 2 May 2027.

A new battlefield for the old rivals

The Messi–Ronaldo rivalry was supposed to be over. Cristiano Ronaldo himself declared it 'gone' back in 2023. But on 1 October 2026, Lionel Messi reopened the contest on a completely different battlefield: the Spanish second division.

That was the day CD Eldense officially announced that Messi had acquired the club, describing his arrival as the start of a 'new and exciting' chapter in the Alicante club's more than 100-year history. The announcement landed just five days before Messi's emotional Argentina farewell against Benin at the Monumental — and, crucially, placed him in the same Segunda Division as Cristiano Ronaldo's Almeria.

Multiple outlets report that Ronaldo holds a 25% stake in Almeria. The prospect of the two greatest players of their generation battling from opposing boardrooms — rather than opposing penalty boxes — has football fans salivating. The greatest individual rivalry in football history is being rekindled, only this time neither man will be on the pitch.

They have already met once — and Ronaldo won

The twist is that Eldense and Almeria have already played this season. On the Segunda's opening weekend back in August, Almeria ran out comfortable 3-0 winners on home turf — before Messi's takeover was even announced.

That result is history now, though. The return fixture, scheduled for 2 May 2027 at Eldense's Nuevo Pepico Amat stadium, will be the first time the two clubs meet with Messi and Ronaldo on opposite sides of the ownership divide. Expect a crowd far bigger than a typical Segunda matchday.

Between now and May, Eldense need to drag themselves away from danger. They were sitting 19th in the Segunda at the time of the takeover announcement, with four defeats from seven matches, and their revenue and costs are among the lowest in the division. The Messi factor is expected to change everything — commercial appeal, sponsorship, and eventually the squad.

Why Eldense?

Of all the clubs in Spain, why did Messi pick a small Segunda side from Elda? According to reports, he was charmed by the club's backstory: founded in 1921 by Barcelona fans, playing in the famous blaugrana colours, with a century of history and a proud local identity.

In Eldense's official statement, the club said the arrival of 'one of the most important figures in the history of sport' marks 'the beginning of a long-term project with the aim of boosting our sporting, institutional and social development'. The project, the statement added, would respect the club's heritage while aiming to establish it firmly in Spanish professional football.

Messi has already shown his engagement: he posted a picture of himself watching their 4-1 win over Real Oviedo — the club's first victory under the new ownership era — on his Instagram story. For a player with a net worth approaching one billion pounds, per reports, the financial commitment is well within reach.

The Messi football empire is growing

Eldense is not Messi's first club acquisition, but it is the biggest. In April 2026 he bought fifth-tier Catalan side UE Cornella, and he also holds a stake in Uruguayan club Deportivo LSM alongside his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez. The Cornella purchase does not currently create a conflict, given the three-division gap — although Spanish regulations would prevent two clubs with the same majority owner competing in the same league if Cornella ever climbed that far.

Messi is also expected to take an ownership stake in Inter Miami once his playing contract with the MLS club comes to an end. And he is not done investing: the Eldense deal — the acquisition of 100% of the shares previously held by the TH Soluciones Group — still awaits mandatory ratification from Spain's Higher Sports Council (CSD) under Spanish sports law.

The deal represents Eldense's third change of ownership in barely a year, after the club won promotion back to the Segunda in the summer of 2026. Stability has been in short supply; Messi is now meant to provide it.

The ownership derby nobody asked for — and everyone wants

The Messi–Ronaldo dynamic has defined football for two decades: nine years of direct El Clásico combat, Ballon d'Or duels, Champions League shootouts and the endless debate over the greatest of all time. Both are now in their late thirties and early forties — Messi is 39 — yet the rivalry keeps finding new life.

First it was the 1,000-goal chase: Messi reached 934 career goals with his Inter Miami brace against DC United while Ronaldo hit 980 for Al Nassr. Now it is an ownership battle in Spanish football's second tier, a league neither man played in but both now have a stake in.

The symbolism is irresistible. Two icons who turned every footballing contest into a global event are about to do it again — this time measured in league positions, transfer budgets and derby-day results at the Nuevo Pepico Amat.

Almeria, for their part, have been in the second tier before and know exactly what it takes to go up. Ronaldo's involvement gives them the same kind of global spotlight Messi now brings to Eldense.

What happens next

The immediate focus is regulatory: the CSD's approval of Messi's Eldense acquisition is the final administrative hurdle before the deal is legally complete. Eldense had already announced it publicly, and business is proceeding as if the Messi era has begun.

On the pitch, the priority is survival. A 4-1 thrashing of Real Oviedo immediately after the announcement — watched by Messi on Instagram — was the perfect start, but 19th place is no comfort in a 22-team division with four relegation spots.

Circle 2 May 2027. Eldense vs Almeria. Messi's club against Ronaldo's club. The rivalry that refused to die is about to write its strangest chapter yet.

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