The 79-year-old has seen off the challenge from Enrique Riquelme.
Florentino Pérez has won re-election as Real Madrid president, claiming victory over Enrique Riquelme in Sunday’s polling with around 65% of the vote. The win means Pérez will serve a seventh term as club president.
This is his third time triumphing at the ballot box following success in 2000 and 2004. He has also been re-elected to office four times as the sole candidate. Reports indicate that Pérez has garnered around 65% of the overall vote to Riquelme’s 35%, with the incumbent leader dominating the mail-in vote and at the polling stations.
The victory is a show of strength for the club’s longest-serving president, who called the elections ahead of schedule last month, amid the disappointment of two seasons without a trophy and growing off-pitch disharmony. Speaking at the Eurobuilding Hotel in Madrid as part of his victory speech, Pérez talked up his margin of victory and vowed to deliver another European title. .
“We will continue working so that Real Madrid keeps winning titles, and we will fight until the end to achieve the 16th European Cup. You have demonstrated your commitment and loyalty to the club.
“Real Madrid has won. We have set an example to the world of democracy, transparency and coexistence. We have shown that we are a big family, that we love Real Madrid, and that we are prepared for the future. ” Meanwhile, 37-year-old Riquelme—who had attempted to unseat Pérez with bold campaign promises including the signings of Erling Haaland and Jürgen Klopp—was conciliatory, while he talked up the need for regular contested elections..
“And congratulations to all the Real Madrid members who were able to vote. This is a great victory for this candidacy. For us, this isn’t the end, it’s the beginning.
“Real Madrid won’t go 20 years without elections. The Real Madrid members will continue to vote for four more years. It’s about respecting the legacy and extending a hand to the debate we haven’t had. The best thing is that the members’ voices are heard.
”will become Real Madrid’s next manager, having already signed a three-year deal to succeed Álvaro Arbeloa that would come into effect after the election. , after the deadline for a buyout clause set at $3.5 million in the manager’s deal in Lisbon expired during the election campaign. Mourinho has been used in a video by Pérez’s campaign announcing his victory and a press conference and presentation of the new manager is expected this week.
He is expected to bring his Benfica assistants João Tralhão and Pedro Machado with him, along with analyst Roberto Merella, fitness coach António Dias and goalkeeper coach Nuno Santos. The 63-year-old Portuguese previously helmed Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning one La Liga title and one Copa del Rey.
While he achieved a record points total during the 2011–12 season, he never made it to the Champions League final andAs with the manager, Pérez had lined up several signings to be confirmed once the election process was completed. While Konaté and Dumfries address gaps in the squad, they are not the kind of splashy, attacking deals fans have come to expect from Pérez in an election year.
There is likely to be at least one big transfer this summer, however. However, any deals for Manchester City duo Haaland and Rodri—as promised by Pérez’s opponent Riquelme—are now expected to be off the table. Florentino Pérez faces a critical period for Madrid. | Angel Perez Meca/Europa Press/Getty Images While his margin of victory was impressive, things are not all rosy at Real Madrid and Pérez has some big issues to address in the coming weeks.
The 2025–26 season was stained by unwanted locker-room drama, and there have also been reports of power struggles at the the highest levels involving Pérez’s advisor Anas Laghrari and CEO José Ángel Sánchez. In addition, Pérez’s proposed plans to sell 5% of the club to a private investor have not gone down well with many.
Earlier this season, chants of “Florentino, resign” rung out at the Bernabéu and the pressure is likely to increase if results on the pitch don’t change this season—a third season without a major trophy is an unthinkable possibility for a club the size of Madrid.mean he is now a known entity among fans, and he is unlikely to disappear back into anonymity. Should the club’s struggles continue, more potential challengers may feel emboldened.
The fact that powerful club legends Raúl González, Iker Casillas and Fernando Hierro were willing to join Riquelme’s ticket also shows that Pérez’s chokehold on the club is not as strong as it once was. The rehiring of Mourinho is a gamble that needs to pay off for Pérez. Equally, failure now to deliver on the promise of signing of the “total Gálactico” this summer could add to the atmosphere of disgruntlement.
READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAndy Headspeath is a Real Madrid correspondent for Sports Illustrated FC. Originally from the UK, the weather, culture and soccer lured him to Spain over a decade ago where he lives with his wife, son and two untrainable dogs.
A player of unspeakably limited talents and only one fully functional knee, he has more than a decade's experience in a wide variety of editorial roles within sports media, from match reporting to in-depth feature writing and interviews. He specializes in soccer history and culture, as well as—of course—La Liga.
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