The 2026 Barcelona presidential elections will feature a run-off between just two contenders, Victor Font and Joan Laporta, as confirmed by the club. Aspiring candidates were required to collect 2,337 signatures from club members to qualify for the final ballot, a hurdle only Font and Laporta successfully cleared.
Monday marked the deadline for pre-candidates to submit their collected signatures. After verification, Marc Ciria’s ‘Moviment 42’ campaign failed to meet the threshold. While other hopefuls like Xavier Vilajoana, William Maddock, and Daniel Juan had already fallen short, Ciria initially submitted 2,844 signatures. However, 598 of these were invalidated by the club, bringing his validated total down to 2,247 – a mere 90 signatures shy of the necessary 2,337.
Laporta and Font Head-to-Head for Barcelona Presidency
Joan Laporta, seeking a second consecutive term, emerged as the frontrunner, initially gathering 8,170 signatures. After 944 invalidations, his final count stood at 7,226. Victor Font, his closest rival, submitted 5,144 signatures, with 704 deemed invalid, resulting in a validated total of 4,440. This leaves a significant gap of 2,786 signatures between the two.
Discussions about a potential coalition among Ciria, Font, and Vilajoana, aimed at challenging Laporta’s dominance, did not materialize before the final qualification. It was highlighted that, collectively, this opposing trio had amassed more signatures than Laporta. While Vilajoana’s invalidated signatures are unknown, their combined initial total reached 8,280, exceeding Laporta’s by over a thousand. However, accounting for Vilajoana’s invalidations would likely narrow this perceived lead considerably.
A Familiar Face-Off: Recalling the 2021 Elections
In the 2021 elections, three candidates advanced to the final round; however, Toni Freixa is not participating this time. Even then, Font and Laporta were the leading contenders. Laporta secured a decisive victory with 30,184 votes (54.28%), while Font garnered 16,679 votes (29.99%). Freixa placed third with 4,769 votes (8.58%). Laporta is once again the clear favorite, aiming for his fourth term, and champions continuity with coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco. Font, conversely, advocates for a significant restructuring of the club’s financial operations and the appointment of a new sporting director.