Real Madrid has officially withdrawn from the Superliga project after 1,760 days, bringing an end to the contentious breakaway attempt that fractured European football, UEFA announced Wednesday. The agreement with UEFA and the European Football Clubs (EFC) follows weeks after Real Madrid signaled a €4.5 billion damages claim related to the failed venture.
The Superliga was initially unveiled on April 18, 2021, by twelve clubs aiming to establish a 16-team closed league with guaranteed participation for founding members, including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund, as well as one additional club. The announcement triggered widespread condemnation from fans and political figures, notably including then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, leading to a swift collapse of the English contingent – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur – followed by Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, and AC Milan.
Within 48 hours of the initial announcement, only Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid remained committed to the project, but the momentum had evaporated. A legal challenge ensued, with a Madrid court referring the dispute to the European Union Court in May 2021 to assess the dominance of UEFA and FIFA in European football governance. Juventus ultimately withdrew in June 2023, leaving Barcelona and Real Madrid as the last remaining proponents.
Whereas the Superliga concept faced significant opposition, a December 2023 ruling by judges acknowledged that UEFA had acted without a proper procedural process, representing a partial victory for the project’s organizers. But, the ruling as well affirmed UEFA’s authority to establish conditions for new, federated competitions. In response, the Superliga organizers pivoted to a revised, open three-tier model featuring promotion and relegation, and pledged to offer free streaming of matches.
Simultaneously, UEFA undertook its own restructuring of European club football, introducing a 36-team Champions League format for 2024 and enhancing revenue-sharing arrangements. A trademark dispute with the Danish league in March 2024 forced the abandonment of the “Superliga” name, which was subsequently rebranded as “Liga Unify.” The final blow to the project came with Barcelona’s anticipated return to UEFA competitions in October 2025, prompting Florentino Pérez, the president of Real Madrid, to concede defeat.
The agreement between Real Madrid, UEFA, and the EFC marks a formal end to the Superliga saga, though the financial implications and long-term consequences for European football remain to be fully assessed. UEFA has not yet commented on the details of the settlement regarding Real Madrid’s damages claim.
