Real Madrid cashes in with limited‑edition “León XIV” jersey after pope reveals his fandom

Real Madrid moved quickly on Monday, rolling out a limited‑edition jersey honoring León XIV after the pope publicly revealed he’s a supporter of the club.

The shirt went on sale at the team’s official store for about $210, and storefront displays now feature mannequins wearing the special kit, with “León” across the shoulders and “XIV” as the number.

Fans can also buy the matching shorts for roughly $60 and socks for about $27.

Fresh off his victory in Real Madrid’s internal presidential elections, Florentino Pérez plans to present the pope with his own personalized jersey later today at the Santiago Bernabéu, where the pontiff will meet with the diocesan community — one of the centerpiece events of his visit to Madrid.

“I would like to welcome León XIV to Spain. Today he said on the plane from Rome that he’s a Real Madrid fan, and that’s a great source of pride for us. Welcome, Your Holiness,” Pérez said Saturday during a campaign event.

His remarks referenced comments made by Robert Prevost during the flight to Spain, where he noted that while the pope “belongs to all teams,” he personally is “a Real Madrid fan.”

This will be only the second time the Bernabéu hosts a papal event, the first being John Paul II’s visit on November 3, 1982.

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