Rafael Nadal to join Real Madrid's board; members vote on 21 November

Rafael Nadal is set to join the board of directors of Real Madrid, the club said on Wednesday 4 November, two years after the Spaniard retired from tennis. The board agreed at a meeting on Tuesday to put his appointment to the club's General Assembly of Delegated Members, which is expected to ratify it on Saturday 21 November, according to reports by AFP carried by ARY News and Reuters carried by Al Jazeera.

What the club and Nadal said

Real Madrid called it "a source of immense pride" that a figure of Nadal's sporting and personal stature would join the board and help shape the club's present and future. Its statement listed his 92 singles titles, two Olympic gold medals, five Davis Cup wins with Spain and his time as world number one, and said his humility and respect for opponents matched the club's own values.

Nadal thanked president Florentino Perez and the board on X and said he had accepted "with great enthusiasm, keen to learn and to contribute as much as I can".

Nadal and Real Madrid

• Member since 2011: Nadal has been an honorary member of the club for 15 years and is a lifelong supporter.
• Record in tennis: 22 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record 14 French Open titles. He retired in November 2024 and is now 40.
• Future president? In 2023 he said he would one day like to be club president but was not sure he was qualified. Before this year's club election he distanced himself from reports that he would stand.

Why the board seat matters

Perez, 79, won another four-year term in June in the club's first contested presidential election in two decades. More than a third of voting members backed challenger Enrique Riquelme, who opposed plans to bring outside investment into the member-owned club. A seat on the board puts Nadal inside those decisions and keeps his name in the conversation about who follows Perez.

Watching from Pakistan

La Liga and Champions League matches involving Real Madrid usually kick off between 8pm and 1am Pakistan time. For legal ways to stream sport here, see our guide to watching PTV Sports live.