The Digest:
Spanish football club FC Barcelona has officially withdrawn from the European Super League (ESL) project, leaving rival Real Madrid as the only remaining club from the original 12 founding members. Barcelona confirmed the move in a formal statement, notifying the ESL company and other involved clubs. President Joan Laporta had indicated in October 2025 the club's intention to re-establish ties with UEFA and move away from the breakaway competition, which collapsed under intense public and institutional pressure shortly after its 2021 announcement. The ESL, championed by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, has seen all other founding clubs, including six from England and Italy's Juventus and Milan clubs, withdraw over the past five years. The project remains a subject of legal battles, with a Spanish court previously ruling against UEFA's opposition and Real Madrid seeking billions in damages.
Key Points:
- Barcelona's exit effectively ends the club's involvement in the most significant recent challenge to European football's traditional structure.
- The decision aligns the club with widespread fan sentiment and the broader football ecosystem centered on UEFA competitions.
- It isolates Real Madrid as the primary institutional advocate for the closed-shop league model.
- The withdrawal may influence ongoing legal disputes and the future viability of the ESL concept.
- It reinforces the enduring power of fan pressure and collective action in shaping elite football governance.
Sources: FC Barcelona Official Statement, Agency Reports
