Real Madrid confirm the end of the European Super League after UEFA agreement

Tom Weber

11 Feb 2026 16:01 GMT
4 min read

Real Madrid have announced that they have reached an "agreement of principles" with UEFA over their European Super League disputes.

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On Saturday, Barcelona officially confirmed their withdrawal from the Super League project following a statement from president Joan Laporta in late 2025 in which he revealed that he was seeking rapprochement with UEFA.

Barcelona's decision left Real Madrid as the only remaining club still clinging to the idea of a new-look European competition to rival the Champions League and UEFA's other competitions.

The original ESL project collapsed within a couple of days of its launch in 2021 due to the involved Premier League clubs backing down amid widespread protests from supporters. The last non-Spanish team, Juventus, officially withdrew in June 2024.

However, despite the humiliation in 2021, Real Madrid and Barcelona initially refused to give up on the idea of the Super League. In late 2024, Madrid-based company A22 unveiled a new Unity League to be launched with 96 teams across four tiers in September 2026.

Real Madrid announce UEFA agreement

This futile effort at reviving the Super League completely collapsed with Barcelona's exit last week, and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has now seen the writing on the wall.

In an official statement, Real Madrid have announced that they have reached an agreement to resolve their differences with UEFA and European Football Clubs (EFC), from which they and the other Super League participants were expelled in 2021.

"UEFA, European Football Clubs and Real Madrid CF reach agreement for the good of European club football," the statement read.

"Following months of discussions conducted in the best interests of European football, UEFA, European Football Clubs (EFC), and Real Madrid CF announce that they have reached an agreement of principles for the well-being of European club football, respecting the principle of sporting merit with emphasis on long-term club sustainability and the enhancement of fan experience through the use of technology.

"This agreement of principles will also serve to resolve their legal disputes related to the European Super League, once such principles are executed and implemented."

The Super League is officially dead.

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