EFC: 54 new members, including Barça, since the start of the 2025-26 season, taking total to 819

A total of 54 new clubs have joined European Football Clubs (EFC) since the start of the 2025-26 season, bringing the organisation’s membership to 819 clubs from 55 countries and territories, the EFC announced following its board meeting in Prague (Czechia) on 31/03/2026.

Among these new members is FC Barcelona (LALIGA EA Sports), which had been excluded from the ECA (former name of the EFC) in 2021 due to its involvement in the European Super League project. The club officially withdrew from the project on 07/02/2026. Four months earlier, its president Joan Laporta attended the EFC general assembly in Rome on 07/10/2025, marking a reconciliation between the two parties.

The board also discussed the recent joint communication between EFC, UEFA and Real Madrid CF (LALIGA EA Sports), with all parties committed to "collaborating constructively for the good of the club's football," following the Spanish club’s withdrawal from the European Super League project on 11/02/2026.

In terms of governance, the EFC board approved several changes:
• Bart Verhaeghe, chairman of Club Brugge (Jupiler…