Lionel Messi has completed his purchase of Spanish second division club CD Eldense.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval and is the second Spanish club that Argentina great Messi has invested in, with the 39-year-old having bought Catalan side Cornella in April.

“Club Deportivo Eldense officially announces the acquisition of the club by Leo Messi, marking the start of a new and exciting chapter in the club’s history, which spans more than 100 years,” CD Eldense stated on their website., external

CD Eldense are 19th in the 22-team Spanish second division with one win and five points from their opening seven games.

Former Barcelona forward Messi, who won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, plays for American club Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and announced his retirement from international football in August.

An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, he reached a “preliminary agreement” to become CD Eldense’s majority shareholder in September, with the process now complete.

“The arrival of one of the most important figures in the history of sport as owner of CD Eldense marks the beginning of a long-term project aimed at promoting the club’s sporting, institutional, and social development,” added the Alicante-based club

Cole Palmer is set to withdraw from the England squad, with Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo also doubts to join up with Thomas Tuchel‘s camp.

Palmer, who was recalled by Tuchel last week after he was left out of England’s squad for the World Cup, is reportedly dealing with a small injury, though he completed Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Friday night.

The 24-year-old has featured in all five of Chelsea’s Premier League matches this term but struggled with injuries in a disrupted campaign last season, recently saying during a Twitch stream that he “had one leg for 10 months”.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick confirmed Rashford picked up an “issue” when during the 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday, with the forward substituted while appearing to be struggling with his hip – which was a persistent issue over the summer.

Midfielder Mainoo, who travelled to this summer’s World Cup but did not play a single minute of the tournament under Tuchel, was also substituted during the closing stages of the draw at Craven Cottage.

England will play four matches over the newly expanded three-week international break, kicking off against World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday 26 September. That is followed by trips to Czech Republic and Croatia, before concluding the set of Nations League games against the Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday 6 October.

Former Super Eagles striker, Obafemi Martins, has announced plans to organise a youth football tournament in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 campaign.

Martins disclosed this during an interview on TVC on Thursday, saying the tournament, which he described as the “Renewed Hope tournament,” would be held in November.

According to the former Inter Milan and Newcastle United striker, the tournament will involve teams from the six geopolitical zones, with additional teams expected to participate.

“There’s a tournament that I’m doing for His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu that I’m doing for his campaign, the renewal youth tournament, and I’m doing it with, I think, the geopolitical zone, which is six, and I’m adding more two to three teams with it,” Martins said.

He said the initiative was aimed not only at supporting Tinubu’s campaign but also at creating opportunities for Nigerian youths.

“I think I’m just happy to do it for the president with all his hard work and all that. And that is not just for the president, it’s for the Nigerians and the Nigerian youth as well; how we can help them,” he said.

Martins said he was funding the tournament himself and confirmed that it would take place in November.

“Yes, I’m doing it in November,” he said when asked if the initiative was self-funded.