Madeleine McCann’s parents hoping for 2026 ‘breakthrough’ in hunt for missing daughter | UK | News
Madeleine McCann’s parents are hopeful that 2026 will bring them a “breakthrough” in finding their missing daughter. In an end-of-year update on the official Find Madeleine site, Kate and Gerry McCann said the ongoing search for Madeleine and the “quest for information and justice” was “far from over”.
He thanked the police for their ongoing investigations and said, “We hope you have a peaceful and positive year and that 2026 brings us the breakthroughs we long for.” he said. May marks 18 years since Madeleine disappeared from her hotel room in Praia da Luz in 2007, when she was three years old.
The McCanns publish a message at the end of each year providing up-to-date information on investigations into Madeleine’s disappearance.
The message, shared yesterday and signed by “Kate, Gerry and family”, stated: “As 2025 draws to a close, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported us in any way possible last year and who continue to hope to hear positive news from Madeleine.”
The couple confirmed they have joined the charity Missing People to support ‘Safecall’, which provides confidential, free support to young people who have left home or are considering leaving home and to young people at risk of crime or sexual exploitation.
Although no major progress was made last year, investigations were continuing. In June 2025, Portuguese and German police conducted a three-day search in Portugal, scouring land near Praia da Luz for clues in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Chilling evidence also came to light The Gunes investigation was broadcast on Channel 4 German authorities revealed this They found disturbing items linked to Christian Brückner He was identified as the prime suspect.
A year after Madeleine’s disappearance, dozens of pieces of children’s clothing and lurid chat history were found in a disused factory bought by the convicted rapist for £20,000 in Neuwegersleben, Germany, in 2008.
German police found 75 children’s swimming costumes, toys and small bicycles, as well as a hard drive, linked to Brueckner.
The 49-year-old man was sentenced to prison in Germany over an unrelated rape case. He has consistently denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
