Barcelona confirm exit from failed European Super League

Spanish giants Barcelona confirmed their withdrawal from the failed breakaway European Super League project on Saturday, leaving Real Madrid as the only club still involved.

“Barcelona hereby announces that today it has formally notified the European Super League Company and the clubs involved of its withdrawal from the European Super League project,” said the Catalans in a statement.

Barca president Joan Laporta said in October 2025 Barcelona wanted to reestablish links with UEFA, moving away from the project launched by 12 clubs in 2021 which quickly collapsed under the weight of immense fan and institutional pressure.

Shortly after the semi-closed Super League project was announced five years ago, the six English clubs involved — Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea — withdrew.

Four other clubs, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus, followed by 2024, leaving only Barca and Real Madrid still involved in the project championed by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

“We are in favour of peace because there is a way forward for the clubs in the Super League to return to UEFA,” said Barca chief Laporta in October.

“We feel very close to UEFA and the EFC (European Football Clubs, a sole, independent body representing football clubs within Europe).”

In 2024, a Spanish court ruled opposition to the Super League from world and European football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA “prevented free competition”, and in 2025 an appeal from UEFA was rejected.

As a result, Real Madrid and the Super League, promoted by the A22 Sports Management group, were seeking more than $4 billion in damages from UEFA, a source told AFP.