TL;DR THE FORUM in Madrid gathered over 400 leaders from the sports and entertainment industries to discuss the future of football. Key figures emphasized the industry's growth and the importance of collaboration for its evolution.
Atlético de Madrid Atlético de Madrid
Madrid has become the global epicenter of the sports and leisure business with the celebration of **THE FORUM**, an exclusive event promoted by **Atlético de Madrid** and **Apollo Sports Capital.** Held at the **Riyadh Air Metropolitano**, it brought together some of the most influential leaders in the industry, with more than 400 attendees.
The event opened with welcoming remarks from AtlĂ©tico de Madrid president **Enrique Cerezo**, who emphasized the importance of the event as a meeting point for professionals to analyze and debate the future of sport and entertainment. â*The world of football is experiencing significant growth not only as a sport but also as an industry. I trust that todayâs perspectives will help us build a new industry and an exciting future*â he stated.
He was followed by AtlĂ©tico de Madrid CEO **Miguel Ăngel Gil**, who focused on the evolution of the football industry and how it now goes far beyond what happens during matches, highlighting the experiences that will be offered by the future âSports Cityâ: â*AtlĂ©tico de Madrid has been working for some time to make football much more than 90 minutes. We are achieving it. In this stadium alone, in 2025, more than 250 corporate events were held for between 300 and 5,000 people, 23 music events for 60,000 attendees, 24 football matches with nearly 70,000 spectators⊠In total, around 3.5 million people visited us.*â
The first panel featured **Rob Givone**, CCO of Apollo Sports Capital; **Antoine Bonnier**, CEO of Quantum Pacific; and **Ben Enowitz**, CFO of MARI Group. Givone stated that â*what is great about AtlĂ©tico is that we have the best organization and the best management team. I would challenge anyone to find something better in world football*.â Bonnier highlighted the evolution of football clubs, stating that â*it is crucial to emphasize AtlĂ©tico de Madridâs talent in positioning itself as a flagship of the new business model.*â
Enowitz, meanwhile, highlighted footballâs value as a shared fan experience: â*Sport is a passion. People love to share and celebrate; that is why the world of football is so closely linked to the events and entertainment industry.*â
The day continued with panels featuring industry leaders discussing major football clubs, including Ferran Soriano, CEO of City Football Group, and **Jorge Mas**, Managing Owner of Inter Miami , as well as the global impact of Spanish institutions and companies. In the latter panel, **Alberto RodrĂguez-Toquero** (CEO of Mahou San Miguel), **Francisco Hein** (co-founder of Fever), and **Maite GĂłmez Fraile** (VP Officer at Cabify) shared their views.
This section also included **JosĂ© Luis MartĂnez-Almeida**, Mayor of Madrid; **Javier Tebas**, President of LaLiga; and **Rafael LouzĂĄn,** President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Javier Tebas stated that âthe balance between domestic competitions is where the brand is built, and all clubs contribute to that,â while Rafael LouzĂĄn referred to the 2030 World Cup, which will be hosted in part by Spain: âWe are working on this major event that will showcase us to the world, and it is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.â
**