By Peter Omopo
Spanish football giants FC Barcelona have formally confirmed their withdrawal from the controversial European Super League project, leaving Real Madrid as the only club still associated with the proposed breakaway competition.
The reigning La Liga champions announced the decision on Saturday in a statement published on the club’s official website, confirming that they have formally notified the European Super League Company and other involved clubs of their exit.
“FC 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,” the statement read.
Barcelona’s decision follows earlier comments by club president Joan Laporta, who in October 2025 said the club was seeking to restore and strengthen its relationship with UEFA, distancing itself from the breakaway project launched by 12 elite European clubs in 2021.
Laporta had stressed the need for reconciliation within European football, noting that Barcelona was aligned with UEFA and the European Football Clubs (EFC), an independent body representing football clubs across the continent.
The European Super League, championed by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, was proposed as a semi-closed competition aimed at rivaling the UEFA Champions League. However, the project collapsed rapidly after its announcement due to widespread opposition from football fans, governing bodies and political leaders.
Several top European clubs across the English Premier League, Italian Serie A and Spain’s La Liga have since pulled out of the initiative. The six English clubs involved—Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur—withdrew shortly after the project’s announcement amid intense backlash from supporters.
Other major clubs that exited the Super League include Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.
With Barcelona’s withdrawal now confirmed, Real Madrid remains the sole major club still publicly committed to the controversial Super League proposal.
