Is President Florentino Pérez still in support of the Super League? Will Real Madrid consider holding La Liga matches abroad?
Sources involved in the proposed European Super League project—like all those quoted in this article, who requested anonymity to protect relationships—stated that Pérez will continue to back the initiative.
However, the latest developments indicate that the two sides have reached a reconciliation. Senior officials including UEFA Secretary-General Theodore Theodoridis and Anas Laghrari, co-founder of A22 Sports Management (the Super League promoter), have held multiple talks.
During these meetings, A22 proposed a new Champions League format: the top 18 teams (based on UEFA rankings) would compete across the first 8 matchdays, with this format set to take effect in 2027. UEFA’s response so far has been that it has no intention of changing the top-tier competition.
This week, UEFA reluctantly approved the relocation of European competitions overseas—which means Villarreal’s home match against Barcelona in December will soon be held in Miami.
Madrid (Real Madrid) has strongly opposed the idea both publicly and privately, even issuing an opposition statement in August. This is part of the long-standing feud between La Liga (led by Javier Tebas) and Real Madrid.
Madrid has also received support from Spain’s Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD, a body under the Spanish government). The CSD hopes all domestic sports events, as well as as many international events as possible, will be held in Spain (Spain will co-host the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Morocco, while the 2031 Ryder Cup will take place on the Costa Brava near Barcelona).
This week, the CSD requested information from the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) regarding the Miami match and how it complies with the federation’s regulations.
Sources say Florentino still supports the European Super League. A22 proposed a 2027 Champions League restructuring (top 18 teams in 8 matchdays) but UEFA rejected it. UEFA approved Villarreal-Barça’s Miami match, which Real Madrid opposes, with Spain’s CSD backing Madrid.
