FC Barcelona Announces Presidential Elections for March 2026

FC Barcelona has announced that presidential elections will take place on March 15, 2026, utilizing the earliest possible window for the electoral process. This decision comes while the team is still actively competing in various tournaments, including the UEFA Champions League round of 16.

A statement on the club’s official website earlier this week confirmed, “The Board of Directors has agreed to call elections for the club presidency on Sunday, March 15, 2026. In the coming days, the official call will be published in accordance with the deadlines established in the FC Barcelona Statutes, detailing the schedule and all aspects of the electoral process.”

Current president Joan Laporta is running for re-election. Other candidates include Victor Font, Marc Ciria, Xavier Vilajoana, and Joan Camprubi, all of whom have publicly expressed their intention to contest. However, Laporta’s decision to hold elections during the ongoing season has drawn criticism from rivals.

Ciria, in a conversation with Spanish publication SPORT, remarked, “We had anticipated that Laporta would seize any opportunistic moment to call the elections. While we understand that the statutes allow for this, it would have been more appropriate to wait until the season concluded, allowing the teams to focus on their competitions without distractions.”

There are rumors that Laporta’s decision to schedule elections early is influenced by his currently favorable standing, as Barcelona leads La Liga and recently triumphed over rivals Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España final. The team is also expected to secure its place in the last 16 of the Champions League in the upcoming match against Copenhagen.

Victor Fort commented on the situation, stating, “It is evident that these elections are timed to benefit Laporta. He seems unconcerned about holding them in the midst of a Champions League tie. However, we are not surprised and are prepared for what lies ahead. These elections are crucial for the future of Barcelona, marking the beginning of a return to the members. If March 15 coincides with a match against Sevilla, we insist that attendance for that match be limited to members, with tickets priced minimally to encourage participation among all fans.”

Another candidate, Vilajoana, expressed his team’s readiness and emphasized the importance of member participation in the electoral process, stating, “My team and I have been preparing for this moment for some time. I hope the elections are as participatory as possible, allowing members to hear and compare various proposals while ensuring they have all the necessary information to make an informed decision.”

To appear on the ballot, candidates are required to gather 2,321 signatures from Barcelona club members endorsing their candidacy.

In defense of his decision, Laporta stated that the mid-March date was the most suitable from both a sporting and institutional perspective. He will need to resign from his role in February ahead of the elections, with a management committee appointed to oversee day-to-day operations in the interim.

Barcelona recently followed a 2-1 defeat against Real Sociedad with a 4-2 victory over Slavia Prague in the Champions League. This loss has narrowed their lead at the top of La Liga to just one point. Currently, while they are outside of the automatic qualification spots for the Champions League, they are level on 13 points with Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle, and Chelsea, who sit in sixth, seventh, and eighth positions, respectively. Barcelona’s next match is against Real Oviedo in La Liga this Sunday.