White smoke rose from Real Madrid following the re-election of the club's legendary president, Florentino Pérez, for an eighth term extending until 2030, after facing a challenge in the elections for the first time since 2009 from businessman Enrique Riquelme.

Achieving "the second-best result in history

The anticipation ended shortly before 1:00 AM, when Pérez, 79, celebrated his victory "across all electoral lists" and his achievement of "the second-best result in history," even before the official results were published.

Pérez’s rival, Riquelme, head of the energy group Cox, conceded defeat just seconds before the election, after numerous polls showed Pérez with a commanding lead, securing between 60 and 70 per cent of the votes from club members (fan-members in Spain), who were called to the polls for the first time in 20 years.

Pérez himself called for these early elections at a press conference following Real Madrid's second consecutive season without a major title, despite being re-elected unopposed for a fourth term in January 2025. The president of the Royal Club, who has held the position since 2009, having served a first term between 2000 and 2006, confirmed in his speech that his first major decision in his eighth term would be the return of Portuguese coach José Mourinho, 13 years after his first stint at the helm of the club.