Florentino Pérez, Aleksander Ceferin and Nasser al-Khelaifi met in a three-way summit that could only lead to one outcome: understanding. The objective was to find common ground between a confederation representing 55 associations, an organisation overseeing 800 clubs, and one institution, Real Madrid. All three parties chose to build bridges, break the deadlock and reach the compromise required to move forward.
Three men, one shared purpose: improving European football. While the result now seems inevitable, the road to this initial agreement was long and demanding. The meeting, conducted with mutual respect and open dialogue, proved decisive. Everyone involved recognised their responsibility to resolve the dispute and prevent the situation from continuing along an unsustainable path.
The agreement is not yet final. Discussions continue, but they are now guided by a shared understanding that the priority is football and its development. According to both sides, FC Barcelona’s withdrawal from the project was not a determining factor and did not influence what was ratified on Wednesday afternoon, 11 February, a decision unrelated to that development.
The next step is to translate the framework into concrete measures and apply them to competitions. At that stage, Real Madrid will withdraw its legal complaints, including its €4.5 billion compensation claim. The favourable rulings the club received regarding the Super League were an important backdrop to the meeting, prompting UEFA and its counterparts to accelerate efforts towards reconciliation and a peace agreement.
What had been under discussion for months, and was finalised on Wednesday morning, achieved its aim. The football world breathed a collective sigh of relief. The agreement delivered what it set out to do: restore stability. Few could imagine a UEFA Champions League without Real Madrid, or a European competition structure without UEFA. Football, once again, feels whole.