Florentino Pérez declared victory in Madrid’s presidential election shortly before 1 a.m. at the Eurobuilding hotel, greeting supporters and calling the night a major moment for the club. His rival, Enrique Riquelme, had conceded earlier outside his election headquarters as television coverage shifted to the winner.
Sunday’s vote was Madrid’s first contested presidential election since 2006, giving members their first opportunity to choose a president in 20 years. Fans queued from early morning at the club’s Valdebebas training ground, where the basketball pavilion was turned into a 60-table polling station arranged by seniority. Organizers and members had been warned of transport disruption due to the city’s first papal visit in 15 years, and temperatures climbed above 86 degrees Fahrenheit as voting continued through the day.
The two candidates represented sharply different visions. Pérez, 79, faced 37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur Riquelme. Riquelme accused Pérez of seeking to “privatize” the member-owned club, while Pérez rejected those claims and accused his opponent of being part of a shadow campaign. During the campaign Riquelme promised attempts to sign Erling Haaland and Rodri and to bring Jürgen Klopp to the club. Pérez announced José Mourinho as part of his plan and named Ibrahima Konaté and Denzel Dumfries among potential signings, also vowing to bid more than €150 million for an unnamed “Galáctico.”
When polls closed, 33,555 votes had been validated — about 45% of Madrid’s roughly 75,000 members. Spanish media outlets released exit polls after voting ended that proved broadly accurate. The club’s count, delayed in part because some postal votes were contested and struck off, ultimately showed Pérez with 65% of the vote to Riquelme’s 35%.
The result exposed a deeper division among members than in recent cycles: in the previous five electoral cycles (2009, 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2025) Pérez had faced no opposition. He called voluntary elections last month despite having been re-elected only last year and being able to wait until 2029; the question now is how he will govern over the next four years.
