The amount that Real Madrid and the organizers of the European Super League will claim from UEFA has been revealed. According to news agency AFP, it concerns a staggering sum of four billion euros.
On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, it was revealed that Real Madrid and the organizers of the European Super League plan to demand massive compensation from UEFA, following a new legal victory in Spain.
The Provincial Court of Madrid upheld the argument that UEFA had abused its dominant position when it acted to block the creation of the Super League in 2021. This ruling reinforces the stance taken by the European Court of Justice in December 2023, which determined that UEFA and FIFA’s system of control over new competitions was incompatible with European Union law guaranteeing free competition.
According to AFP and several other media outlets, the claim is expected to amount to around four billion euros. This figure represents the damages that Real Madrid and the Super League’s promoters believe they suffered due to UEFA’s actions, including lost commercial opportunities, sponsorship deals, and broadcasting rights that would have accompanied the breakaway competition.
The Super League, originally announced in April 2021, was intended as an elite European competition featuring twelve founding clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus. However, it collapsed within 48 hours amid overwhelming backlash from fans, national associations, and political leaders. UEFA threatened severe sanctions against the clubs involved, including potential bans from domestic and international competitions. In the view of Real Madrid and the Super League organizers, these threats went beyond legitimate governance and amounted to anti-competitive behavior intended to preserve UEFA’s monopoly.
The Madrid court agreed with this interpretation, stating that UEFA’s regulatory framework at the time lacked clear, objective, and transparent criteria for approving new competitions. The judges also noted that UEFA had combined its regulatory and commercial roles, allowing it to act simultaneously as both rule-maker and competitor—a structure that, under EU law, can constitute abuse of dominance.
Real Madrid has since become the leading force behind the legal battle. The club insists that it is not trying to resurrect the exact same Super League project, but rather to ensure that European football is governed by open market principles. The claim for four billion euros is seen as both a demand for financial compensation and a symbolic statement against what the club considers an unfair system that prevents innovation and competition in European football.
UEFA, on the other hand, maintains that it has already adapted its rules since 2022 to align with EU law, introducing clearer procedures for evaluating new tournaments. The organization argues that the Madrid ruling does not authorize the creation of a Super League, nor does it automatically imply that UEFA must pay damages. UEFA is expected to appeal the decision and continues to defend its authority as the sole organizer of major European competitions such as the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.
Legal experts suggest that even if Real Madrid’s claim is partly successful, the case could take years to resolve. The process of quantifying damages and proving direct financial harm caused by UEFA’s actions will be complex. Moreover, UEFA’s defense will likely emphasize the public and political pressure that led to the Super League’s collapse, arguing that fan opposition and not regulatory interference was the real cause of the project’s failure.
If the Spanish court’s position is ultimately upheld and UEFA is ordered to pay, the consequences could be enormous. A multi-billion-euro judgment would not only reshape the relationship between clubs and governing bodies but could also encourage other organizations or leagues to challenge UEFA’s authority. It would mark a turning point in European sports governance, forcing greater transparency and competition in football’s commercial ecosystem.
For now, UEFA remains silent on the matter, likely consulting with its legal team before issuing a statement. The football world, meanwhile, watches closely. Whether this case ends in an unprecedented financial blow to UEFA or in another reaffirmation of its power, one thing is certain: the conflict that began with the failed Super League project in 2021 is far from over.
