Barca Pull Out Of Super League Project 

Barcelona have withdrawn from the European Super League project, leaving rivals Real Madrid as the only club still signed up to the proposal of a breakaway league.

The reigning La Liga champions confirmed their decision in a brief statement released on the club website.

“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,” said the club.

A total of 12 clubs signed up to form a breakaway European Super League in 2021, including Premier League sides Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.

But following a backlash from supporters, all six Premier League clubs withdrew from the project within 72 hours of its announcement.

Juventus became the 10th club to withdraw from the plans in June 2024, but Barcelona and Real Madrid remained committed to the project.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed in October 2025 that the club wanted to re-establish links with Uefa and rejoin the European Football Clubs (EFC), previously known as the European Clubs Association (ECA).

The La Liga giants were expelled from the ECA, along with the original 12 clubs that signalled their intention to join the breakaway league, after the proposals were made public.

The other 10 clubs who also withdrew have all since been reinstated in the EFC.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are seeking substantial damages from Uefa following a series of court rulings made against the way the European governing body responded to the breakaway league plans.

Madrid’s commercial court ruled in May 2024 that European and world governing bodies, such as Fifa, were practising anti-competitive behaviour and abusing their dominant position, echoing a similar decision made by the European Court of Justice.

The case was brought by A22 Sports Management, the company behind the ESL, against Uefa, Fifa, Spain’s La Liga and the Spanish football federation (RFEF).

Uefa has since changed its rules around new competitions following the collapse of the ESL proposal.

It added the latest judgement, made by the Provincial Court of Madrid last October, did “not validate” the Super League project, “nor does it undermine Uefa’s current authorisation rules”.

Meanwhile, Barcelona moved four points clear at the top of La Liga with a dominant 3-0 win at home against strugglers Mallorca.

Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Marc Bernal struck for the leaders at the Nou Camp.

Mallorca’s Jan Virgili caused problems for Barcelona defender Jules Kounde in the first half, getting the better of him on multiple occasions, but the visitors could not force a breakthrough.

Instead, the attacking power of the hosts produced the opener when Marcus Rashford’s right-foot effort was blocked and rebounded off Dani Olmo, with the ball falling to Lewandowski who fired in from nine yards.