Spanish giants Barcelona have formally confirmed their withdrawal from the failed breakaway European Super League project, leaving Real Madrid as the only club still involved.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Catalan club said it had officially informed the European Super League Company and the remaining participants of its decision to pull out.
“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 president Joan Laporta had already signalled the club’s intention to distance itself from the project in October 2025, stressing a desire to rebuild ties with UEFA.
The Super League was launched in 2021 by 12 clubs but collapsed almost immediately following fierce backlash from fans, domestic leagues and football authorities. The six English clubs involved — Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea — withdrew within days.
They were later followed by Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus by 2024, leaving only Barcelona and Real Madrid backing the project led by Madrid president Florentino Pérez.
“We are in favour of peace because there is a way forward for the clubs in the Super League to return to UEFA,” Laporta had said previously, adding that Barcelona felt “very close” to UEFA and the European Football Clubs body.
The legal dimension of the project has continued despite its sporting collapse. In 2024, a Spanish court ruled that opposition to the Super League by FIFA and UEFA “prevented free competition.” An appeal by UEFA was later rejected in 2025.
As a result, Real Madrid and the Super League’s promoters, A22 Sports Management, are reportedly seeking more than $4 billion in damages from UEFA.
With Barcelona’s exit now confirmed, Real Madrid stand as the only major club still publicly tied to the controversial project.
