Real Madrid, UEFA reach deal to end Super League dispute

Nearly five years after 12 of Europe's elite clubs triggered a seismic revolt against established football governance, Real Madrid and UEFA announced an "agreement of principles" on February 11, 2026, bringing the controversial European Super League saga to a close. The Spanish giants, the last founding member still attached to the breakaway project, agreed to end all legal disputes with European football's governing body in what amounts to a capitulation for club president Florentino Pérez's long-held vision.

The joint statement, issued by UEFA, Real Madrid, and the European Football Clubs association, said the deal respects "the principle of sporting merit with emphasis on long-term club sustainability and the enhancement of fan experience through the use of technology." The agreement ensures the Champions League remains open to clubs based on performance rather than permanent membership, preserving the structure that fans, governments, and UEFA fought to protect.indiatoday+2

A Retreat After Years of Defiance

The settlement represents a sharp reversal for Pérez, who as recently as November 2025 declared he was "more convinced than ever" of victory and vowed to "tirelessly pursue" Real Madrid's right to organize an alternative competition. Last October, following a Madrid Provincial Court ruling that upheld findings from the Court of Justice of the European Union, Real Madrid and A22 Sports Management—the Super League's promoter—announced plans to sue UEFA for approximately €4.5 billion in damages.goal+2

Those legal proceedings, rooted in the December 2023 EU Court ruling that UEFA had violated competition law by blocking the Super League's launch, will now be resolved under the new accord.espn+1

Madrid Left Isolated After Barcelona Exit

The agreement comes just four days after Barcelona formally withdrew from the Super League on February 7, leaving Madrid as the sole remaining club from the original 12 that announced the project on April 19, 2021. That group included AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Atlético Madrid, all of whom abandoned the venture within days of its chaotic unveiling amid intense backlash from supporters, players, and politicians.espn+2

Tom Greatrex, chair of the Football Supporters' Association, welcomed the news. "Florentino Pérez's European Zombie League has shambled along dead on its feet for years," he said. "It's taken Pérez almost five years to understand what fans instinctively knew—the European Super League would be widely despised and it was never going to work."thefsa