Madrid for True Football Fans

You won’t believe how vibrant Madrid can become on matchdays. The city has a long football history, which spans 100 years, just like its well-known clubs: Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, which were founded in 1902, 1903 and 1924, respectively.

Going across the city in a slanting line from north to south, you’re bound to encounter Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, at the heart of the Chamartín district, Atlético de Madrid’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium in the district of San Blas-Canillejas, and Vallecas Stadium, a smaller field named after the working class district where it can be found.

Football and food

Madrid’s passion for football is nurtured, in more than one way, at the city’s bars and restaurants. The establishments near the stadiums are certain to become packed with fans before, during and after games. And, when the time has come for the Champions League or Europa League tournaments, visitors to the city who’ve come to support their teams always find their way to the many downtown bars in Sol and Barrio de las Letras (Literary Quarter).

Don’t be surprised to come across Real Madrid players or managers dining a few tables away from you at their restaurants of choice, Asador Donostiarra and Mesón Txistu. And, since there’s room for everyone in Madrid, communities of supporters of almost all the Spanish League teams are to be found in the city.

Gran Vía avenue now boasts the LALIGA TwentyNine's LEGENDS restaurant, a new and revolutionary Sports Bar concept based on innovation and technology. This 600m² establishment with capacity for more than 180 people is LaLiga’s first themed restaurant in Madrid and combines sport, innovation, gastronomy and leisure.

Some elite footballers have ventured into the gastronomic sector, participating in projects such as Naked & Sated, which has several restaurants in Madrid. One of the partners in this venture is Marcos Llorente, an Atlético de Madrid player, along with the popular Chef Bosquet, whose philosophy focuses on healthy and quality food for guilt-free enjoyment.

The Atlético de Madrid football player and businessman, Mario Hermoso, is behind the Japanese restaurant Tora, with which he has entered the hospitality world. It is an elegant space that presents Japanese cuisine with attention to detail, fused with traditional Spanish ingredients and purely Japanese recipes.

Celebrations

Team fans have managed to turn local monuments into traditional symbols of their clubs. If the team win a title, qualify for a championship or just give them any reason to celebrate, Real Madrid’s fans will gather at the Cibeles Fountain, Atlético de Madrid supporters will rally at the Neptuno Fountain, and Rayo Vallecano fans—Rayistas—will come together at the fountain outside the Seat of the Assembly of Madrid. And there’s a fourth meeting place for football fans: Plaza de Colón, where derby rivalries are set aside to celebrate the national team’s victories.

Museums

The excitement of football forms part of the air that is breathed in the capital and those who come to Madrid are well aware of it. The sport has even made a place for itself in museum visitors' rankings, and both the Bernabéu Tour and the Cívitas Metropolitano Tour, with guided tours of their facilities, are receiving more and more visitors. If you want to buy an official product, you can do so at the museums as well as at the Real Madrid (No.6 Calle del Arenal, No.31 Gran Vía and No.3 Calle del Carmen), Atlético de Madrid (No.47 Gran Vía) and Rayo Vallecano (No.114 Avenida de la Albufera) stores.

A visit to Madrid’s Wax Museum affords the unusual sight of Iker Casillas or Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the same pitch as Andrés Iniesta, David Villa and Fernando Torres. If you’re willing to venture beyond city limits into the town of Las Rozas and its Football City, the Spanish National Football Team's Museum is a must! Guarded by a Modernist gate dating from 1900, you will be taken on a journey through the country’s football history, starting with glorious old-time players like Ricardo Zamora, Telmo Zarra, Ferran Olivella, José Ángel Iribar or Alfredo Di Stéfano and including present-day stars of La Roja, as the national team is commonly dubbed.

Legends. The Home of Football

Original museum for football fans. Located just off Puerta del Sol, at the beginning of Carrera de San Jerónimo, this space spanning more than 4,000 square metres is divided into seven floors, enabling visitors to go on a chronological journey through the history of football. To do so, state-of-the-art technology is used so that visitors can enjoy immersive experiences and see more than 4,000 historic objects.

Original pieces include boots and balls used by the first world champions, as well as the kits of football stars, such as Maradona, Pelé, Cruyff, Messi, Zidane, Iniesta, Paolo Rossi, Di Stéfano and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others. 

Fitness clubs and gyms 

For fans of sports and physical fitness, Madrid offers spaces designed by elite footballers.

Then there's CR7 Fitness by Crunch by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and Crunch Fitness, one of the leading gym chains in the United States, which offers a new gym concept. Its services include training areas, personal guidance with highly qualified trainers and professional sports nutritionists. This centre encourages physical activity for all types of people with a world-renowned “no judgements” philosophy.

Ronaldo also has his own hotel in the city, Pestana CR7 Gran Vía Madrid, located on Gran Vía. It's a fully refurbished 1920s building where, in terms of its décor, sport is ever present with signed football jerseys and images of footballers on display. It's also equipped with a fitness box/sports area, and training programmes and sporting activities are organised here.

Useful apps for football fans

• Futbar: App to find the best places to enjoy football and get exclusive promotions.
• KOP Stadium: App that presents a new concept for watching football. It allows you to reserve a seat in different bars around Madrid and watch matches on a giant screen with food and drinks from the bar.