How a Dinner on the Eve of the Champions League Final Influenced the Summer Transfer Window

On May 30, the eve of the Champions League final, Felix Bar & Kitchen in Budapest opened its doors at 6 p.m. The white wine was chilled, the truffle Negronis were prepared, and waiters moved between the tables, treating it as an ordinary VIP dinner. But seated at the tables were UEFA president Ceferin, European Club Association chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, and a 35-person guest list that included executives from Nike, Adidas, Whoop and fashion brand ALO, broadcasting executives from CBS and beIN Media Group, as well as former stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Figo.

The special aspect of the dinner was the presence of club owners sitting at the same table. Twelve of the most influential owners, chairmen and CEOs in football raised their glasses and talked. Six clubs among them — Barcelona, Manchester City, Milan, Juventus, Arsenal and Chelsea — had previously been members of the European Super League, the crisis that nearly disrupted the Champions League and was resolved by Ceferin with Al-Khelaifi's assistance. But by then, old disputes had been put aside and conflicts had been eased. The next day's final, the coaching market and player recruitment became the main topics of discussion that night.

The results of the dinner became apparent when the transfer window closed on September 1. Those present that night collectively completed 18 deals worth more than €1 billion in total, including Ballon d'Or winner Rodri and Enzo Fernandez, one of his opponents in the 2026 World Cup final. According to The Athletic, many of the deals were completed through direct negotiations between club owners.

Rubin is known for hosting an annual white party in the Hamptons, New York, and he said that “everyone who comes to the party knows they will meet people who can truly help their business.” UEFA's dinner appears to have had a similar purpose. The difference was that this time, it helped reshape the entire transfer market.