Real Madrid’s President Florentino Pérez has won the duel with entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme and will remain in the highest office at the Spanish football record champions until 2030.
This was the result of the election on Sunday (June 7th, 2026) in the club center in Valdebebaswhich Pérez announced in May at a sensational press conference. He is now entering his eighth term in office, having held the position for the first time from 2000 to 2006.
For the first time since he took office again in 2009, an opposing candidate, Riquelme, stood for election, but without success. “We won at all ballot boxes, that means in all age groups”said the 79-year-old Pérez after his victory. He also has “achieved the second best result in history”according to Spanish media projections, he received between 60 and 70 percent of the vote. His rival congratulated Pérez even before the results were officially published.
Rodri, Haaland, Mourinho – top names as Campaign gifts
The two opponents had outdone each other with wild statements during the election campaign. While Riquelme wanted to lure top stars Erling Haaland and Rodri to the “Royal”, Pérez promised to sign Ibrahima Konaté and coach José Mourinho. In his victory speech after the election, he emphasized again that Mourinho should return to Real.
According to media reports, he is also planning an offer of 150 million euros for Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise. Pérez himself initially ruled out the name Olise.
Perez – Controversies and scandals without end
Real’s president was repeatedly at the center of controversy, including during the election campaign for the presidency: In a press conference in May, he launched a sweeping attack against the reporting on the capital club, including a sexist-connoted statement to a journalist. The boycott of the 2024 “Ballon d’Or” gala ordered by Perez also caused a lack of understanding in the football world, with the exception of the Real fan base, after it was previously leaked that the award for best footballer did not go to Real striker Vini Jr.
Real Madrid under Perez’s leadership was also seen as one of the driving forces in the controversial plan to found a private European super league as a competitor to the Champions League and as a declaration of war on the European sports system.