Real Madrid elections return on Sunday for the first time since 2006, with Florentino Perez trying to keep the presidency against Enrique Riquelme. The vote matters because the club’s member-owned structure, tight eligibility rules and huge budget can keep the race narrow even as it moves through a formal process.
Perez and Riquelme
Perez announced the vote on May 12 and urged his rivals to “come out of the shadows,” setting up a rare challenge to a president who has been in office since 2009. Riquelme, 37 years old and the founder of renewable energy company Cox Energy, is the only named challenger in the race.
He added a splash of intent on Wednesday night when he said in a Spanish TV interview that he would sign Erling Haaland from Manchester City if he became president. That promise gave the contest a football edge, but the election itself will be decided by who clears Madrid’s membership rules first.
Madrid’s voting rules
Real Madrid is one of only four Spanish clubs owned by their members, along with Barcelona, Osasuna and Athletic Club. Only Spanish citizens can run for president, and each candidate must have been a club member for 20 years.
The financial bar is even higher. A candidate must present a bank guarantee equal to 15 per cent of Real Madrid’s annual budget, which this season is €1.25 billion. That works out to €187 million, a figure that narrows the field before a single ballot is cast.
Once Madrid formally call elections, a 10-day period begins for candidates to submit their bids. The club’s electoral board can reject any candidacy it decides does not meet the requirements, and a vote only takes place if two or more candidates are accepted.
Valdebebas vote day
Eligible members must be above age, have full legal capacity, and have been registered with the club for at least one uninterrupted year. They also must be on Madrid’s electoral roll, and on Sunday they can vote by post or at Valdebebas.
Polling stations will be set up in the basketball pavilion at Madrid’s training centre, with voting open from 9am to 8pm. The club has arranged shuttle services because the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Madrid is expected to cause significant transport disruption.
Perez does not need to resign while the process plays out, and Madrid’s statutes allow him to keep running the club during the election. That means he can still sign players to new contracts or hire a new coach before the result is announced, while the club has not said when that result will be made public.
