Joan Laporta has been re-elected president of FC Barcelona after defeating Victor Font in the club’s presidential election held on Sunday, securing another five-year term that will run until 2031.
The 63-year-old, who previously beat Font in the 2021 election, will officially resume office in July after stepping down a few weeks earlier as part of the electoral procedure.
About 42 per cent of the club’s registered members participated in the vote, amounting to 48,480 ballots cast. Laporta won convincingly with 68.18 per cent of the votes, while Font secured 29.78 per cent.
Reacting to the result, Laporta said: “This result makes us very happy and gives us a lot of strength, a lot, so much that it leaves us speechless.”
“No one will stop us. I am sure that in the coming years, as I’ve said to you, we have some thrilling times ahead.”
Laporta stated that the club’s priorities would include completing the redevelopment of Camp Nou, now expected to be finished in 2027, a year later than initially planned. He also emphasised the need to continue defending the club against what he described as external pressures.
“(Club members) have voted for our proposal, which was that all of us together should defend Barca against everything and everyone,” the re-elected president added.
Laporta also expressed appreciation to Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco, both of whom played key roles in the club’s domestic treble success last season.
He previously served as Barcelona president from 2003 to 2010, a period widely regarded as one of the club’s most successful eras, highlighted by the historic treble achieved under Pep Guardiola in 2009.
Players participate in voting
Several first-team players, alongside Flick, cast their votes shortly after Barcelona’s 5–2 victory over Sevilla FC earlier in the day. Laporta was also present at the voting venue.
Among other notable club members who voted were former Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets, three-time women’s Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, and former player and manager Xavi Hernández.
Voting stations were set up at Camp Nou as well as in several Catalan cities, including Girona, Tarragona and Lleida, in addition to Andorra.
Laporta was seen celebrating even before the final count was announced and later joined players in celebrating the emphatic win at Camp Nou.
Elected in 2021 after promising to keep superstar Lionel Messi at the club — a pledge he ultimately could not fulfil — Laporta nonetheless guided Barcelona through a severe financial crisis.
In a controversial move, he authorised the sale of portions of the club’s future television rights and other assets to raise funds for new signings, including Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha during the summer of 2022.
Barcelona went on to win La Liga titles in 2023 and 2025 and, under Flick, reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season for the first time since 2019.
Laporta also faced criticism for supporting the controversial European Super League project alongside Florentino Pérez of Real Madrid. Barcelona eventually withdrew from the initiative earlier this year.
During his first presidency, Laporta oversaw a golden era for the club, including the signing of Brazilian star Ronaldinho, the emergence of Messi as Barcelona’s greatest-ever player, and Champions League triumphs in 2006 and 2009.
Meanwhile, defeated candidate Font called for reforms to the voting system to allow members living outside Catalonia to participate more easily.
“The turnout is the most negative aspect of the day — we would have loved for it to be higher because we believe the club needs to be more participatory, as with voting by mail,” he said.
“More participation means more strength.”