From World Cup Champions to Longevity Champions: Madrid scores for a longer future

Spain celebrates football glory while Madrid —home to the longest-lived capital in the EU— welcomes the world’s leading scientists, physicians, innovators and futurists to the International Longevity Summit 2026

MADRID, SPAIN — Summer 2026 — Fresh from Spain’s spectacular victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Madrid is preparing for another kind of world-class gathering: one focused not on winning more years of sporting glory, but on winning more healthy years of life.

On September 30 and October 1, 2026, the International Longevity Summit Madrid 2026 will bring together leading scientists, physicians, entrepreneurs, investors and futurists to explore one of humanity’s greatest challenges—and potentially greatest opportunities: extending healthy human life.

Organized by the International Longevity Alliance, the Summit comes to a city uniquely positioned to lead the global conversation on longevity. Spain has  the highest life expectancy in the European Union, while the Comunidad de Madrid has recorded the highest life expectancy of any EU region, reaching the remarkable landmark of 85.7 years according to Eurostat. Madrid may therefore be more than simply a great European capital; it could increasingly be considered a “Blue Zone 2.0”: a modern, dynamic metropolis where exceptional longevity meets cutting-edge science, biotechnology and innovation.

And now, after Spain’s national team, La Roja, captured the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Spain can proudly claim another world-leading achievement. In July, Spain defeated Argentina 1–0 after extra time to win its second men’s World Cup title, adding a new chapter to a country already renowned for its health, lifestyle and longevity.

From world champions on the football field to potential champions of healthy longevity, Spain is demonstrating that the future may belong to those who know how to live—and perhaps someday live much longer.

A new royal home at Spain’s most prestigious medical institution

After the success of previous editions held at the Ilustre Colegio Oficial de Médicos de Madrid (ICOMEM), where the Summit was inaugurated with the participation of the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the 2026 edition takes a major institutional step forward.

This year, the Summit will be held at the magnificent Real Academia Nacional de Medicina de España (RANME), the Royal National Academy of Medicine of Spain, the country’s most prestigious medical institution. Founded in 1734, the Academy occupies a unique place in Spanish scientific history. The Academy is under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Felipe VI, underlining the exceptional institutional importance of the venue. The Academy is also historically associated with some of the greatest names in medicine, including Spain’s Nobel laureates Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Severo Ochoa.

Located in the historic heart of Madrid, between the Royal Palace and the Teatro Real, the RANME will provide an extraordinary setting for a conversation that could reshape the future of medicine itself.

From George Church and Ray Kurzweil to Eric Topol and Peter Diamandis

The International Longevity Summit has rapidly become a meeting point for some of the world’s most influential thinkers in longevity, biotechnology, medicine and the future of humanity.

Previous editions of the International Longevity Summit in Madrid have featured an exceptional roster of speakers, including George Church, pioneering geneticist; Ray Kurzweil, futurist and inventor; Steve Horvath, creator of the epigenetic clock; Andrea Maier, longevity physician and researcher; Mehmood Khan, global health and life sciences leader; Liz Parrish, biotechnology entrepreneur; Aubrey de Grey, biomedical gerontologist; Bryan Johnson, entrepreneur and longevity pioneer; María Blasco, molecular biologist and telomere researcher; João Pedro de Magalhães, biogerontologist and aging researcher; and Michael Ringel, biotechnology and pharmaceutical executive—along with many other leading scientists, physicians, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the world. 

The 2026 edition continues and expands this tradition of quality. Among the distinguished participants and speakers announced for 2026 are Eric Topol, cardiologist and digital medicine pioneer; Peter Diamandis, entrepreneur and futurist; Brian Kennedy, aging researcher; Valentin Fuster, cardiologist and cardiovascular scientist; Bashayer Almubarak, longevity and health innovation leader; Guido Kroemer, cell biologist and aging researcher; Steven Austad, biogerontologist; Michel Poulain, demographer and Blue Zones researcher; Michael West, stem cell pioneer; Mike Chan, longevity expert and entrepreneur; Wei-Wu He, biotechnology entrepreneur; Patrick E. Sewell, longevity physician; Ronald Bonilla, dentist and longevity innovator; Tina Woods, health and longevity leader; Daniel Wallerstorfer, geneticist and biotech entrepreneur; David Wood, futurist and longevity advocate; and Kenneth Scott, entrepreneur and longevity advocate—along with many other leading international and Spanish scientists, physicians, entrepreneurs, and innovators. 

The program will span the biology of aging, rejuvenation biotechnology, preventive and regenerative medicine, artificial intelligence, health data, biomarkers, the longevity economy and the profound social consequences of potentially dramatic increases in human healthspan.

From conference to scientific marketplace: posters and startup pitches debut in 2026

For the first time, the International Longevity Summit will introduce scientific poster sessions and startup pitches, opening the stage to a new generation of researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators. Through an international Open Call, selected participants will have the opportunity to present research projects, scientific posters, short talks and startup initiatives to an audience of experts, investors, physicians and longevity enthusiasts. The goal is to make the Summit not only a place where established leaders discuss the future, but also a platform where the next generation of breakthroughs, companies and scientific careers can begin.

A distinguished group of prestigious Spanish and international institutions is supporting this historic event, organized by International Longevity Alliance (ILA) at the Royal National Academy of Medicine of Spain (RANME), in collaboration with the Official College of Physicians of Madrid (ICOMEM) and Madrid Innovation. International supporters include European Wellness and Triple Helix Science at the Gold level, as well as Novogenia and Nesa World at the Silver level. The event is also endorsed by leading foundations and organizations, including HealthGevity Nation, Hevolution Foundation, Human Longevity Inc., HumanityPlus, Immortalis, KHL Foundation, Life Extension Foundation, Lifeboat Foundation, Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation, Millennium Project, XPRIZE Foundation, together with innovative companies such as Cenegenics, GERO, and OXANA. This year, the Summit will also welcome a new generation of startups working in healthtech, healthcare innovation and longevity, with the logistical support of CRRATE and StartUp Olé Salamanca.

The 2026 edition aims to further strengthen Madrid’s role as a bridge between Europe, Latin America, North America and the rapidly expanding global longevity economy.

Two days of UNESCO history before exploring the future

The Summit will begin even before the scientific program officially opens. On September 28 and 29, participants will be able to join two special pre-conference excursions to some of the most remarkable UNESCO World Heritage sites surrounding Madrid. The first day will travel south-east to Alcalá de Henares, Aranjuez and Toledo. The second will head north-west to Ávila, Segovia and El Escorial.

The contrast is intentional: participants will explore centuries of Spanish and European history before returning to Madrid to discuss technologies that may transform the future of human life itself. From ancient cathedrals and royal palaces to cellular rejuvenation, artificial intelligence and longevity escape velocity, the International Longevity Summit 2026 promises a journey through both humanity’s past and its possible future.

This summer, Spain has shown the world how to win on the football field. This autumn, Madrid will invite the world to explore how humanity might also win the greatest matches of all: the race against aging!

International Longevity Summit 2026

Dates: September 30 – October 1, 2026
UNESCO World Heritage Tours: September 28–29, 2026

Free registration for the Madrid Longevity March
Venue: Real Academia Nacional de Medicina de España (RANME)
Organizer: International Longevity Alliance
Information and registration: www.LongevitySummit.Madrid

Videos: Teaser · UNESCO Tours · Full 12-minute Promo

Media kit: Images and Clips

General inquiries: [email protected]

About José Cordeiro

José Cordeiro, PhD

José Cordeiro, PhD, is an engineer from MIT and MBA from INSEAD. He is director of the International Longevity Alliance, vicechair of HumanityPlus, fellow of the World Academy of Art & Science, senior fellow of The Millennium Project, founder of the International Longevity Summit in Madrid, founding faculty of Singularity University in Silicon Valley, former Spanish candidate to the European EurParliament and coauthor of the international bestseller The Death of Death.