Barcelona have announced a new presidential election on March 15, 2026. Current president Joan Laporta's five-year term ends at the end of this year, but there is some flexibility over when the election can be held.
Clubs can choose any date between mid-March and mid-June 2026. However, Barcelona's board of directors has chosen the earliest possible window, while the team is still competing in various events.
"The Board of Directors has agreed to hold the election of the President of Barcelona on Sunday, March 15, 2026," the club said in an official Instagram statement.
So far, in addition to Laporta, who will run for re-election, there are the names of Victor Font, Marc Ciria, Xavier Vilajoana, and Joan Camprubi who have announced their intention to run for President of Barcelona.
However, in order for their names to eventually be listed on the ballot on March 15, 2026, they first need to get 2,321 signatures from club members who support their candidacy.
The four opposition candidates have criticized the decision to hold elections while the season is still underway.
The date - Sunday - falls in the middle of the Champions League 16th round, which is expected to follow Barcelona, and at a time when LaLiga and the Copa del Rey are still being contested.
Sports achievements usually have a big influence on how members vote.
"It is clear that the elections were held at a favorable time for Laporta. However, we expected it, celebrating the elections in the middle of the Champions League match, so it did not surprise us."
"We are ready for an election that will be very important for the future of Barcelona," Font, who came in second in the 2021 election, said on Thursday, January 22, 2026, local time, reported ESPN.
Laporta said that March 2026 was the most appropriate date at both the sporting and institutional levels to hold elections.
With the date now set, Laporta must step down at the end of February 2026 ahead of elections. A management committee is tasked with running the club day-to-day in the interim after Laporta steps down.
Some of the key issues that are likely to be discussed ahead of the Barcelona presidential election include the club's finances, the redevelopment of Camp Nou which is now in its final stages, and Lionel Messi's role in the future at the club.
Font said Messi would be the first person he would call if he won the election, while Ciria also said the Inter Miami striker should return to Camp Nou.
Laporta, who was in charge when Messi left the club, is currently serving his second non-consecutive term as Barcelona president.
He previously held the position between 2003 and 2010, winning elections in 2003 and 2006, and returning in 2021.
Since taking control for the second time, Barcelona has won two LaLiga titles, but the Champions League, which they have not won since 2015, continues to slip from their grasp.
Meanwhile, the women's team continued to achieve great success, winning five F League titles and three Champions League titles.
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