Atlético Madrid files FIFA complaint over Barcelona's alleged illegal approach for Julián Álvarez

Atlético Madrid has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA against FC Barcelona, alleging the Catalan club made illicit contact with Argentine forward Julián Álvarez in an effort to push him out of the Wanda Metropolitano. Barcelona confirmed on Thursday that it had received notification of the complaint from the world governing body.

Álvarez pushes for an exit

The 26-year-old striker, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, made his intentions clear during the 2026 World Cup. Speaking after his national team's group-stage match against Austria on 22 June, he told reporters that leaving Atlético would be in everyone's interest.

I think the best thing for everyone is a transfer. I want to fulfill my dream.

Álvarez joined Atlético from Manchester City in 2024 for a fee of around €85 million and is under contract until the summer of 2030. His release clause stands at €500 million.

Barcelona's pursuit and Atlético's resistance

Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed in early July that the club had submitted an offer, valued at €100 million, to bring the striker to Camp Nou. The bid remains on the table, according to sources inside the Catalan club.

At the time, Atlético's chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marín rejected the approach in blunt terms.

We do not want to transfer him, we do not accept the offer of 100 million euros, nor will we accept one of 150 or 200.

Barcelona is seeking a replacement for Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who departed at the end of last season. Spanish media have repeatedly reported that Álvarez dreams of playing for the club where his idol and national-team teammate Lionel Messi spent the bulk of his career.

The Real Madrid subplot

Before the Barcelona bid, Atlético had already turned down a €150 million offer from Real Madrid in June. That move was widely read in the Spanish press as an attempt by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez to complicate a potential transfer to a direct rival and to fulfil a promise made during his electoral campaign.

Complaint triggers dual processes

The Atlético complaint contends that Barcelona's interactions with Álvarez occurred outside the permitted negotiation windows and were designed to encourage the player to force a departure. In addition to the FIFA filing, the Madrid club also submitted a complaint to the Spanish football federation (RFEF), according to local media reports. The RFEF has so far not confirmed the filing and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

With the FIFA notification now received by Barcelona, the dispute enters a formal disciplinary phase. The Spanish federation may open its own file to examine the circumstances. No timetable for FIFA's decision has been set, and Barcelona's €100 million proposal remains, for now, the only official bid on the table.