With Florentino Pérez calling a snap election on Tuesday evening, only days after a second consecutive trophyless season was confirmed, the mechanics of how Real Madrid chooses its president are suddenly very much in the spotlight. Here is everything you need to know.
Who actually owns Real Madrid?
Not a billionaire, not a consortium, not a state fund. Real Madrid belongs to its roughly 100,000 members, the socios who pay annual dues and, in theory, hold ultimate authority over the club’s direction. That is the founding principle
Pérez returned to repeatedly in his press conference today, and it is the principle that shapes the entire electoral process. The president governs on behalf of the membership, not in place of it.
How often are elections held?
Elections are held every four years. The cycle begins when the sitting president convenes a board of directors meeting to formally trigger the process. Under Article 38, paragraph B of the club’s articles of association, the president requests that the Electoral Board initiate the procedure for convening elections for president and board of directors. Candidates then have a fixed window, typically around 10 days, to submit their candidacy papers. If only one candidacy is presented, the Electoral Board proclaims that slate without a vote taking place.
What is the Electoral Board?
The Electoral Board is a special body of the club responsible for establishing the regulations that govern any electoral process at Real Madrid, and for monitoring compliance throughout each process. It functions independently from the club itself, and its five members are proposed by the board in a General Assembly and ratified every four years. For each cycle, the Electoral Board publishes the specific rules covering candidacy windows, appeal deadlines and voting logistics that apply to that process.
Who can stand as a candidate?
The requirements are deliberately demanding. A candidate must have been a Real Madrid member for at least 20 years, and be able to provide a bank guarantee, backed by their own personal wealth, worth at least 15% of the club’s annual budget. With Real Madrid’s budget now in excess of €1 billion, that financial threshold runs to over €150 million from the candidacy collectively. The rules were tightened in 2012, when the club constitution was changed to introduce the 20-year membership requirement and the budget guarantee backed by Spanish banks. Before that change, the bar was lower, though still steep enough that Pérez faced no serious opposition at his 2009 return. The candidacy must also include a full list of proposed board members, each with notarised signatures, and a named representative to liaise with the Electoral Board.
Who gets to vote?
Any socio included on the electoral roll. Members may consult their inclusion or exclusion in the electoral roll through the online Member Service Office, or at the Member Service Office located at Real Madrid City. Postal votes are also available for members on the electoral roll, subject to the conditions established in the electoral rules. A vote only happens if more than one candidacy is officially proclaimed, meaning the election only goes to a ballot if a challenger actually clears the candidacy requirements and submits in time.
Who can be a member of Real Madrid?
This is where the club’s democratic image runs into a fairly closed system in practice. According to the latest General Assembly figures, Real Madrid had 95,612 members as of 2024. That number is not going up significantly any time soon. To become a new socio, you must be the child or grandchild of a current member. Having friends, uncles or cousins who are members is not enough. Without a direct parent or grandparent who is a member, you cannot join. The club limits membership partly to protect against any single wealthy individual registering large numbers of people to take control, and partly because demand for season tickets already outstrips the Bernabéu’s capacity with around 60,000 season tickets available for a stadium that holds 80,000, and close to 100,000 members competing for them. The rules have shifted before. There have been periods when membership was opened more broadly, with existing socios able to sponsor applicants from outside the family. Whether that happens again is a decision for the membership assembly. For now, if parents or grandparents are not socios, the door is effectively closed.
How long does the process take?
It can be very short. In 2021, the entire electoral process was concluded in just 13 days. The board meeting triggers the process, the Electoral Board publishes the rules, candidates have roughly ten days to submit, and if no challenger appears the incumbent is proclaimed without a vote. The 2025 election, held in January, followed the same pattern. Pérez called presidential elections, potential candidates had 10 days to submit their candidacies to the club’s board, and Pérez was re-elected unopposed. Timings are yet to be confirmed this time.
What is the recent history of contested and uncontested elections?
It is a long time since anyone actually voted for a president. Pérez first won the presidency in 2000, beating incumbent Lorenzo Sanz with more than 55% of the vote. His campaign promise to sign Luís Figo from Barcelona played a decisive role. He was re-elected in 2004 with 94.2% of the total votes, before resigning in February 2006 after a run of three trophyless seasons. Ramón Calderón served as president from July 2006 until January 2009, winning two La Liga titles before resigning amid allegations of vote-rigging. Pérez returned later that year, again unopposed. Since returning to the helm in 2009, Pérez has faced no opposition candidate, running uncontested in 2013, 2017, 2021, and again in January 2025. The financial guarantee requirement, tightened in 2012, has played a significant role in deterring challengers.
So why has Pérez called an election now, mid-term?
Tuesday’s announcement came outside the normal four-year cycle. Pérez spoke after Real Madrid’s second consecutive season without a major trophy, two days after a 2-0 loss at Barcelona saw the Catalan club clinch back-to-back La Liga titles. He said he had made the decision because of what he described as campaigns against the interests of Real Madrid and against him personally, and invited anyone moving in the shadows to stand against him. “Now they have the opportunity to do so,” he said. “I am going to run to defend Real Madrid’s interests.” A president can call an election before their term expires. It functions similarly to a confidence vote, allowing the incumbent to seek a fresh mandate. The process that follows is identical to a scheduled election: the Electoral Board sets the rules, candidates have a fixed window to submit, and a vote takes place only if a second candidacy is proclaimed.
Could someone actually challenge Pérez this time?
The financial and membership requirements have not changed. Any challenger still needs 20 years as a socio and a personal guarantee worth 15% of the club’s budget. Even figures like Rafael Nadal, who holds honorary rather than regular membership, would technically be ineligible unless an assembly approved an exception. The conditions that have kept elections uncontested since 2004 remain in place. Whether Pérez’s decision to call a snap election galvanises a genuine candidacy, or simply confirms once again that no one can meet the bar, is the question Real Madrid’s 100,000 socios will be watching closely over the next two weeks.
