Barça's Presidency on the Clock: Four Candidates, Four Dates, One Rollercoaster Election
16 January 2026
Laporta wants elections as soon as possible.
Election timeline and key dates
Barcelona's board will meet on January 22, immediately after the Blaugrana's Champions League clash with Slavia Prague, to decide the deadline for the club's presidential elections.
According to AS, the club's statutes require elections to be held between March 15 and June 15, with a preference for a date on a matchday to encourage member participation.
Candidates and strategic considerations
Nevertheless, that last point remains a recommendation. President Joan Laporta has hinted in recent weeks that elections should happen as soon as possible to avoid any negative impact on team performance.
Elections will take place just before Hans Flick's side competes for all titles.
Based on this, Laporta appears set to push for March 15—the Barça–Sevilla game at Camp Nou—or March 22, alongside a Rayo Vallecano fixture. The latter date is favored because Barcelona would likely have to play on March 14 if they qualify for the Round of 16 in the Champions League.
What happens next
Once the date is confirmed, an official announcement will follow, and Laporta and any board members seeking to stay would need to resign.
The aim is to avoid a temporary board and keep some directors in place throughout the electoral process. If Laporta wins again and they wish to stay, their continuance would have to be ratified at the first general meeting of the delegates.
For now, more names are expected. Four candidates are officially in the race: Laporta, the current president; Víctor Font, who finished second in the last election; Xavi Vilachona and Marc Serra.
Once the date is confirmed, an official announcement will follow, and Laporta and any board members seeking to stay would need to resign.
The aim is to avoid a temporary board and keep some directors in place throughout the electoral process. If Laporta wins again and they wish to stay, their continuance would have to be ratified at the first general meeting of the delegates.
For now, more names are expected. Four candidates are officially in the race: Laporta, the current president; Víctor Font, who finished second in the last election; Xavi Vilachona and Marc Serra.
In the meantime, the other big question remains: will Barça manage to keep its performance steady during the leadership audition?
Once the date is confirmed, an official announcement will follow, and Laporta and any board members seeking to stay would need to resign.
The aim is to avoid a temporary board and keep some directors in place throughout the electoral process. If Laporta wins again and they wish to stay, their continuance would have to be ratified at the first general meeting of the delegates.
For now, more names are expected. Four candidates are officially in the race: Laporta, the current president; Víctor Font, who finished second in the last election; Xavi Vilachona and Marc Serra.
And if you’re wondering about the calendar: the press conferences will be as dramatic as any late-minute goal—just with more paperwork and fewer slides.
Punchline 1: If suspense were a player, this Barça election would be top scorer.
Punchline 2: And if calendars played football, Barça's boardroom would be in extra time forever.
