Barcelona quit European Super League leaving Real Madrid alone

Barcelona have formally withdrawn from the European Super League project, leaving Real Madrid as the only remaining club still publicly attached to plans for a breakaway competition that collapsed within days of its launch in 2021.The decision ends the Catalan club’s involvement in a venture that once claimed it could rival UEFA’s Champions League, but has since struggled to attract backing from clubs, leagues or governing bodies after widespread supporter protests and political opposition across Europe.Barcelona said: "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 withdrawal leaves Real Madrid isolated as the last founding club still aligned with the project. Barcelona and Real Madrid had remained involved after other founding sides pulled away, including Juventus, who exited in 2023, and the six Premier League clubs who all withdrew in 2021 following intense backlash from fans and authorities.Barcelona president Joan Laporta has signalled in recent weeks that the club’s position had shifted, urging remaining proponents to rebuild links with UEFA. Laporta said: "We are in favour of peace because there is a way forward for the clubs in the Super League to return to UEFA."It was a project that couldn't be implemented. It was just expenses without benefits. We didn't feel comfortable with Real Madrid, because the relationship with them is not good."The Super League was announced in April 2021 by 12 clubs – three from Spain, three from Italy and six from England – proposing a partially closed competition that would guarantee places for elite teams and deliver higher revenues. The proposal was met by immediate condemnation from UEFA and domestic leagues, and sparked protests that accelerated the withdrawal of English clubs within 48 hours.Organisers have attempted to relaunch and reframe the concept since then, including a revised model involving more clubs and a promotion and relegation element. A rebranded proposal described as the ‘Unify League’ was floated in late 2024, featuring 96 clubs split across multiple divisions, but it failed to secure meaningful public support from major leagues.Barcelona’s move underlines how far the project has faded since its original announcement. With club backing almost entirely gone, the breakaway concept now exists primarily in legal and political argument rather than in practical planning, with the existing European competition landscape increasingly locked in around UEFA’s expanded Champions League format.Real Madrid, however, have continued to argue that European football needs structural reform and have pursued legal action linked to the original launch, including seeking compensation from UEFA over what the club claims were anti-competitive efforts to block the project.Barcelona did not set out detailed reasoning in its withdrawal statement, but the timing comes as the club continues to prioritise stability in its European relationships and revenue planning, with UEFA competitions remaining central to matchday, commercial and broadcast income.No other clubs have announced any intention to rejoin the project. With Barcelona now out, Real Madrid’s next steps are unclear, beyond continuing their legal strategy and public advocacy for reform.