Messi's Eldense takeover is official — and Argentina's squad has signed him a shirt

Lionel Messi has bought CD Eldense. The Spanish second-division club announced the acquisition on Thursday, calling it "a new and exciting stage in the more than hundred years of history of the institution." 1

The deal has been in the works for weeks and still needs authorisation from Spain's National Sports Council (CSD), which approves club takeovers under the country's sports law. 2 The club said the arrival of one of the most important figures in the history of sport as its owner marks the start of a long-term project to develop Eldense on the pitch and off it. 1

Eldense is the first professional club Messi has bought in Spain, and his second Spanish club: he took over fifth-tier UE Cornellà earlier this year. 3

Holding Eldense and Cornellà at the same time breaks no Spanish rule, because the two clubs are three divisions apart. It may narrow what Messi can do with Cornellà later: the Spanish federation is unlikely to admit two clubs with the same majority shareholder into one division. 3

Eldense were founded in 1921 and play at the Nuevo Pepico Amat, a 5,776-seat ground in Elda, near Alicante. 3 They sit 19th of 22 in LaLiga 2. 5 Their next match, at home to Real Oviedo, kicks off on Friday at 20:30 local time — Saturday 02:30 in Shanghai. 6

Argentina flew back from Córdoba and trained at the Predio Lionel Andrés Messi in Ezeiza on Thursday. The players who did not start against Bolivia went out for speed and technical work; the starters stayed in the gym to recover, and Scaloni used the session for pressing and quick breaks. 7

Scaloni has the whole squad available. Leonel Flores, one of five players who made their Argentina debut in Córdoba, was released back to Boca Juniors on Thursday morning. 8 Enzo Fernández, who sat out the Bolivia match serving the suspension he carried out of the World Cup final, should get minutes on Saturday. Nicolás Tagliafico is the one player working back from a knock, and he may have to wait for the Benin match. 8

Scaloni kept his XI to himself during the session. TyC Sports expects the front two of Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez to stay, with Román Vega or Facundo Medina at left-back and Gianluca Prestianni or Matías Soulé on the left of midfield. 9 Their projected side: Emiliano Martínez; Agustín Giay, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Vega or Medina; Nicolás Paz, Exequiel Palacios, Alexis Mac Allister, Prestianni or Soulé; Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez. 9

The AFA has named the referees for both matches. José Cabero of Chile takes Burkina Faso on Saturday, and Fernando Vejar, also Chilean, takes the Benin farewell. 10

The squad signed a special shirt for Messi on Thursday, covering it in messages written in Spanish that will be handed to him on the night of the Benin match. 11 Scaloni wrote:

Cristian Romero, who has taken over the armband, wrote that Messi is "a brilliant person" and that "the truth is I love him." Lisandro Martínez wrote that the squad has "an incredible love for him, and it will be that way for life." Nicolás Paz and Franco Mastantuono, two candidates for the No. 10, signed it as well. 11

After the final whistle the AFA plans to give Messi a plaque and a shirt marking his career, and a video tribute is expected on the pitch. The federation is still assembling the programme and is waiting for Messi to land before closing it. 12

Messi is due in Buenos Aires on Sunday, Oct. 4, and will play only the Benin match. 13 Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso, called up for that match alone, arrive the same day, and so does Nicolás Otamendi, retired since the World Cup and returning to be honoured. 13 TyC Sports expects Messi's only session with the squad to be Monday, the day before the match. 8

MLS's disciplinary committee found Inter Miami in breach of the league's mass confrontation policy in the 26th minute of the Sept. 27 match at Columbus Crew, and fined the club and head coach Cristian "Kily" González. 14 Sergio Reguilón, Micael, Yannick Bright, Rodrigo De Paul and Daniel Pinter were fined for inciting or escalating the confrontation — the club's first breach of the policy this season. 14 The five named players are all teammates of Messi's. 14