Joan Laporta re-elected president of FC Barcelona

Joan Laporta has been re-elected as president of FC Barcelona, winning 68.18% of the vote, beating out Víctor Font. 

The 2026 election saw Laporta gain the second-most votes of any club president ever, with his 32,934 votes only beaten by Sandro Rosell's 35,021 gained in 2010. 

Laporta will now be at the helm of the Catalan club until at least 2031, when his biggest challenges are expected to be the completion of the Spotify Camp Nou stadium, as well as the reconstruction of the surrounding area, known as Espai Barça, a project which will include a new Palau Blaugrana.

“This is a fantastic win,” Laporta said after votes were counted. “It gives us plenty of strength, it makes us unstoppable. The coming years will be exciting, I'm sure they will be some of the best in our lives."

The president has been in his second spell in charge of the Catalan giants since 2021, when he also defeated Víctor Font at the ballots, with his first period coming between 2003-2010. 

“In this election, the opposing candidacy came with the idea of confrontation between all Barça fans," Laporta said of his opponent. "Today, the members voted for us, because together we will defend Barça against everyone and everything."

What won Laporta the election?

Undoubtedly, success on the pitch and relative economic calm has steered public opinion in favour of Laporta. Barça won a domestic treble last season, and are considered to have one of the best squads in European football. The playing style of manager Hansi Flick has also made the team thrilling to watch again. 

The emergence of young La Masia talents has also indicated to fans that the club is moving in the right direction. Having a squad packed with homegrown talent such as Lamine Yamal, considered by many to already be the best player in the world at the age of just 18, Pau Cubarsí, Fermín López, Marc Bernal, Marc Casadó, and more, give fans a sense of identity that is impossible to replicate. 

In addition, the excitement of returning to the Camp Nou this season after spending more than two years in Montjuïc spreads a strong sense of optimism among culers.

Last five years

The last five years have been characterized by the stadium redevelopment plan and the famous economic 'levers' that he's pulled in order to stabilize the club economically, taking over from Josep Maria Bartomeu that left the club in a perilous financial state.

The Camp Nou was badly in need of a facelift, and the club were not in the position financially to carry out such a mammoth job. 

Laporta's work on restructuring the club debt and finding creative revenue streams has offered Barça much-needed stability to get back on its feet and be able to carry out the Camp Nou regeneration project. 

When finished, the stadium will be able to host over 100,000 spectators, with a significantly increased VIP and hospitality package offering, crucial for the club's coffers.

Early in Laporta's last mandate, the club experienced the traumatic departure of Leo Messi. Such a key figure in the history of the club leaving the team could have easily sent shockwaves that could have been extremely difficult to regroup after, but in truth, Barça stepped into their new era relatively comfortably. A La Liga win under Xavi Hernández was unspectacular but essential to return the winning feeling back to the club, and the team have taken another huge step forward under Hansi Flick in the past two seasons. 

Meanwhile, the Negreira case, where FC Barcelona were found to have paid a former referee's official millions of euro over the course of years, has also cast a dark shadow over the club during Laporta's last mandate. The matter is still being investigated by courts, with authorities suspecting sports corruption between private individuals, unfair administration, and false accounting. Former presidents have testified in court and denied any wrongdoing.