Real Madrid and UEFA reach deal to end Super League dispute

Thursday 12 February 2026 - 16:12

By: Dakir Madiha

Real Madrid and UEFA reach deal to end Super League dispute

Real Madrid and UEFA announced an agreement in principle on February 11, 2026, bringing to a close the long running conflict over the proposed European Super League nearly five years after it first shook European football. The Spanish club, the last remaining founding member still formally backing the breakaway project, has agreed to end all legal proceedings against European football’s governing body, marking a decisive retreat from the vision championed by club president Florentino Pérez.

In a joint statement issued by UEFA, Real Madrid and the European Club Association, the parties said the agreement upholds the principle of sporting merit while emphasizing the long term sustainability of clubs and improvements to the fan experience through technology. The deal confirms that the Champions League will remain open to clubs based on performance rather than permanent membership, preserving the structure that supporters, governments and UEFA had defended since the project’s launch.

The settlement represents a sharp reversal for Pérez, who as recently as November 2025 said he was more convinced than ever that the club would prevail and vowed to continue pursuing the right to organize an alternative competition. In October, following a ruling by a Madrid provincial court that reinforced conclusions reached by the Court of Justice of the European Union, Real Madrid and A22 Sports Management, the Super League’s promoter, announced plans to seek approximately 4.5 billion euros in damages from UEFA.

Those legal claims stemmed from a December 2023 judgment by the EU’s top court, which found that UEFA had breached competition law in blocking the launch of the Super League. Under the new accord, the pending cases will now be resolved.

The agreement comes just days after Barcelona formally withdrew from the Super League on February 7, leaving Real Madrid isolated as the only remaining participant among the 12 clubs that unveiled the project on April 19, 2021. The original group included AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Atlético Madrid. Most of those clubs abandoned the initiative within days of its announcement amid widespread opposition from supporters, players and political leaders.

Tom Greatrex, chair of the Football Supporters’ Association, welcomed the development, saying the project had effectively lingered without viability for years. He argued that it had taken nearly five years for Pérez to accept that the Super League proposal faced overwhelming resistance and lacked broad support within the sport.