Enrique Riquelme opens door to another Real Madrid presidential run
Former Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme has refused to rule out running for the club’s presidency again in the future, while calling for unity following the 2026 elections.
Riquelme, who challenged Florentino Pérez in the club’s first contested presidential election in 20 years, said he respects the result and wants Real Madrid to remain united despite disagreements over some aspects of the club’s direction.
“I respect the elections results, and the only thing I ask for is unity within Real Madrid, even though there are things I don’t like.”
The businessman also left the possibility of another presidential campaign open, saying:
“Time will tell if I run for president again or not.”Riquelme explained that his decision to contest the 2026 election came after observing developments at the club that concerned him from an institutional perspective.
“I ran when I saw what was happening and I didn’t like it from an institutional point of view.”
Florentino Pérez ultimately won the election with 21,741 votes (65%), while Riquelme received 11,814 votes (35%).
Following the result, Riquelme congratulated Pérez and said he was willing to collaborate and continue the debate over the future of the club.
