Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu in final makeover push ahead of 2025 NFL International Series game
Madrid’s iconic stadium undergoes final upgrades before hosting the Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Commanders NFL game this November.
Real Madrid is in the final stretch of its ambitious renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. and a first-ever NFL International game and new hospitality offerings are the next milestones.
In just three weeks, the Bernabéu will once again welcome fans as Real Madrid hosts Osasuna in its LaLiga home opener on August 19. It’ll be 74 days since the venue last opened its doors, for the Corazón Classic Match on June 7, and the return will be especially meaningful. Thanks to ongoing construction and fixture quirks, Los Blancos haven’t started a league season at home in seven years.
Features of the ‘new’ Santiago Bernabéu
Though still a work in progress, the stadium is already striking. Six years into its transformation, the iconic venue has taken on a bold, futuristic look.
The retractable roof creates a unique, enclosed atmosphere. The 360-degree video scoreboard ensures no fan misses a moment, and the retractable pitch can be safely stored underground to make way for concerts and other non-soccer events.
Still, the project isn’t quite finished. The final phase of the renovation is underway—and looming large is the most high-profile event yet: the Bernabéu’s first-ever NFL game, when the Miami Dolphins face the Washington Commanders on November 16.
How Real Madrid and the Bernabéu are adapting for the NFL
Once again, summer brings construction crews back to the Bernabéu. Preparations for the NFL game are especially visible on the pitch, which will be replaced in November to accommodate the size and physical toll of American football.
The front rows behind each end zone are being demolished and rebuilt to extend the playing surface, as an NFL field is nearly 15 feet longer than a standard soccer pitch (120 yards vs. 115). Locker rooms are also being expanded to handle the NFL’s larger rosters, which include 53 players per team.
Meanwhile, the daily Bernabéu Tour, which attracts over 4,000 visitors, still doesn’t include full access to the site. Real Madrid has resumed testing the stadium’s futuristic exterior lighting system, which will feature more than 10,000 LED lights to transform the venue’s nighttime appearance.
More changes coming to commercial operations
The biggest leap in the stadium’s commercial operations is set to come through its food and beverage offerings. Four venues are already open: Puerta 57, Arzábal, Plaza Mahou (which houses its own in-stadium brewery), and KO by 99, a panoramic restaurant with views over the pitch.
Next up: a massive Starbucks set to open in the space previously occupied by the Real Café in the south end. At nearly 10,000 square feet, it will be the largest Starbucks in Spain, and the brand’s flagship location in the country. Following that, the Bernabéu Market will debut with over 25 dining options. Still to come is one of the stadium’s most anticipated additions: a rooftop skybar offering panoramic views of both the interior and the Madrid skyline.
The money behind the ‘new’ Bernabéu
Between July and December 2024, the club brought in €6.6 million (about $7.2 million) from its hospitality business at the Bernabéu, quadruple the revenue from the same period the year before. And that number is expected to climb as more spaces open.
Real Madrid believes this final round of work will complete the stadium’s transformation during the upcoming season. The total investment has ballooned to €1.347 billion (about $1.47 billion), far beyond the original estimate of €800 million, which included the cost of the innovative retractable pitch system.
While the main structure is nearly done, the surrounding area is next. The club will also foot the bill for the full redevelopment of the stadium’s exterior plaza, at an additional cost of €19.6 million ($21.4 million).
The finish line is finally in sight. And when it’s all said and done, the new-look Santiago Bernabéu is set to become one of the most versatile and visually stunning stadiums in the world, making it a more than suitable host for the NFL.
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