Real Madrid hits €1.185bn revenue as Bernabéu nears completion, says Florentino Pérez

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez says the club has reached €1.185 billion in revenue this season - a 10% jump - after being the first football club to pass €1 billion two seasons ago. He framed the rise as proof Madrid can compete with the NFL and NBA heavyweights while the Santiago Bernabéu project moves into its final stages. The momentum blends matchday growth, global commercial pull and new stadium-driven income streams. Fans online praised the sustainability and dominance narrative, with some playful digs at rivals. Madrid’s off-pitch supremacy is setting the floor for on-pitch ambitions.

Club president Florentino Pérez delivered his financial remarks in a formal club setting tied to Real Madrid’s latest season accounts and an update on the Santiago Bernabéu redevelopment. The comments highlighted revenue milestones, operational growth and the timeline for the stadium’s completion as it enters its final construction and commissioning stages.

🗣 Florentino Pérez: "Two seasons ago, we were the first club to surpass €1 billion in revenue. And this season, we reached €1.185 billion in revenue, a 10% increase. This allows us to compete with the giants of the NFL and the NBA. We are in the final stages of the Bernabéu

@MadridXtra

Impact Analysis

€1.185 billion in revenue is not just a symbolic line. It signals a structural shift in how Real Madrid operates and competes. Three pillars stand out: matchday, commercial and stadium-enabled events. The Bernabéu’s transformation into a multi-purpose venue - retractable pitch, hospitality tiers, concerts, NFL-style premium inventory - is designed to widen the earnings base beyond football calendars. That means less seasonality and more resilience.

Commercially, Madrid’s global footprint gives it pricing power. Long-running blue-chip partnerships and retail scale provide recurring cash, while a larger digital audience turns content into monetizable real estate. On the cost side, Madrid’s leadership has kept a disciplined wage-to-revenue ratio relative to peers, a critical piece under La Liga’s squad cost controls.

Debt and financing for a renovation widely reported at over €1.3 billion remain the key watchpoint. Yet higher-margin hospitality, naming inventory potential and year-round events help service obligations. The club’s earlier deal-making with venue operators and investors to optimize non-matchday revenue streams adds a safety net.

Strategically, this revenue level powers Madrid’s ability to invest in elite talent, academy pathways and sports science without breaching financial rules. Compared with NFL and NBA giants, per-game economics differ, but the trajectory is clear: a European football club adopting US-style venue monetization to close the gap. On and off the pitch, that is competitive advantage.

Reaction

Online reaction mirrors a familiar Madrid story: admiration mixed with rivalry banter. Many fans applaud the club’s “properly run” image, calling the 10% growth textbook sustainability and the perfect platform for long-term dominance. The tone is confident rather than giddy - people see a system working as designed. Several highlight the Bernabéu as the hinge that turns a football club into a full-spectrum entertainment business, pointing to concerts and corporate hospitality as the new engine.

Others lean into swagger, framing Madrid as a level above the rest, with success breeding both envy and momentum. There’s predictable sniping at rivals, especially Barcelona, with jokes that the gap is as much about governance as it is about trophies. A few voices ask the hard questions: can you keep spending efficiently while winning, and how close is too close when wage inflation returns?

The overarching sentiment: Madrid is stretching the field. Even skeptics concede the numbers are imposing. Supporters feel the project validates years of unpopular prudence, while neutrals wonder how fast other European giants can copy the model. The consensus is that the Bernabéu is no longer just a stadium - it is a cash-flow platform.

Social reactions

All other clubs envies Madrid, why? Because of success. Madrid above all

Pes Footy ♧ (@Pes_footy)

Impressive growth Real Madrid’s dominance continues 🔥

Web3 Alchemist (@Web3AlchemistX)

Man while Barcelona president likes sex over money 😭😭

UnknownTrader📈 (@TraderrUnknown)

Prediction

Short term, expect Madrid to push non-matchday utilization to a higher gear once the Bernabéu’s final commissioning is complete. That likely means a denser calendar of concerts, international events and corporate activations, with premium hospitality sold in bundled products. If execution stays clean, the club can nudge annual revenue toward €1.25-1.3 billion within a few cycles, even before any naming opportunity is explored.

On the sporting side, sustained revenue expansion gives Madrid the cushion to keep star wages competitive, extend core contracts and stay opportunistic in the market. The strategy will remain selective - high-impact profiles that fit Carlo Ancelotti’s demands and the squad’s age curve - supported by Castilla and targeted analytics to control risk.

Medium term, look for digital monetization to scale: direct-to-fan memberships, international tour experiences tied to the stadium brand, and data-driven pricing for matchday and events. The club has already partnered historically with venue and commercial specialists to professionalize exploitation - the next step is personalization and dynamic yield management.

Risks exist. Construction inflation, interest costs and performance dips can pressure margins. But the club’s diversified income mix and conservative cost discipline are buffers. If Madrid clinches major silverware while the Bernabéu hums year-round, the feedback loop - brand, demand, pricing - will only intensify.

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Conclusion

Real Madrid’s €1.185 billion headline is not a one-off. It is the culmination of a decade of choices: stadium-first planning, commercial patience and strict cost control even when rivals chased headlines. The final stages of the Bernabéu give the club something few in Europe have - an event platform that prints value on non-matchdays and elevates every seat on matchdays. In practical terms, that means predictable cash flows that can be converted into squad stability and competitive bids for elite talent without breaking financial rules.

I have seen this movie before in smaller markets - clubs that reoriented around their venue and saw their margins change overnight. Madrid is doing it at a scale that draws comparisons to the NFL and NBA. The economics are different, but the logic is the same: own your calendar, sell premium, and keep your wage bill rational. The outcome is power - financial, sporting and strategic. If the club maintains this balance, the gap to most rivals will widen, and the Bernabéu will be both a fortress and a cash machine.