The Best Football in Madrid

Considered by FIFA the most successful football club of the 20th century, Real Madrid is one of the most renowned sports institutions in the world. Founded in 1902, it boasts over 85,000 members and the most impressive track record in international football. Known as Los meringues (a nickname inspired by their iconic white jerseys), the club has claimed 36 Spanish League championships, 20 Copas del Rey, 15 Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Cups, 6 European Super Cups and 9 world titles (3 Intercontinental Cups, 5 FIFA Club World Cups and 1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup).

The team's home ground is Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, which has a capacity of up to 81,044 people. It has hosted the finals of the 1964 UEFA European Championship, the 1982 FIFA World Cup, and four UEFA Champions League finals. In 2024, renovation work was completed, and the stadium now features a striking new design, including an impressive retractable roof.

- Check to see when the next Real Madrid game is on

Madrid’s other major club, Los colchoneros (literally "the mattress makers", a nickname given in honour of their red and white stripes, reminiscent of old-fashioned mattresses), was founded in 1903 and has an impressive history: 11 Spanish Leagues titles, 10 Copas del Rey, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 1 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, 3 UEFA Europa Leagues and 3 European Super Cups.

Until the end of the 2016-2017 season, Atlético de Madrid played at Vicente Calderón Stadium, one of the venues used during the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Their current home is Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, which features a full roof covering all 68,000 seats. It’s located in the eastern San Blas-Canillejas district (Metro: Estadio Metropolitano, Line 7), next to the M-40 motorway and very close to both the airport and the IFEMA Madrid trade fair ground. In 2019, it hosted the UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspurs.

- Check to see when the next Átletico de Madrid game is on

The city’s third major team is Rayo Vallecano. Founded in 1924, Los franjirrojos—or, the Red Sashes, so called because of the distinctive red diagonal stripe across their shirts—are the pride of the working-class Puente de Vallecas district. Promoted once again to the first division for the 2020/21 season, the team has now competed 21 times in Spain’s top tier. After finishing in the top eight of the 2024/25 LaLiga competition, the team returns to European competition for the first time in 25 years, having secured a place in the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League. The squad's home ground is Vallecas Stadium, which was inaugurated in 1976 and can seat up to 14,505.

- Check to see when the next Rayo Vallecano game is on

Women's football in Madrid is represented by four major teams: Rayo Vallecano, Atlético de Madrid Femenino, Madrid Club de Fútbol Femenino and Real Madrid Femenino.

Atlético de Madrid Femenino plays its home matches at Cívitas Alcalá de Henares Sports Centre, although it also occasionally plays at Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium. The team has an impressive record, having won three Liga titles (2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19), two Copas de la Reina (Queen’s Cup, 2016 and 2023), and one Supercopa de España (2021). After finishing third in Liga F, they will compete in the UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifying rounds in the 2025/26 season.

Rayo Vallecano, based in the working-class neighbourhood of Vallecas, has won three Liga titles and one Copa de la Reina. The team also made history as the first Spanish women’s side to reach the knockout stages of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, advancing to the last 32 twice. In the 2022/23 season, the squad was relegated to the third tier Segunda Federación. They play their home games at the Ciudad Deportiva del Rayo Vallecano sports complex.

Madrid Club de Fútbol Femenino (Madrid CFF) and Real Madrid Femenino are the other two Madrid-based teams currently competing in Liga F:

Madrid Club de Fútbol Femenino, a women-only club founded in 2010 and promoted to the top flight in 2017, plays at Luis Aragonés Sports Centre.

Real Madrid Femenino, formerly known as Club Deportivo Tacón, was established in 2014 and debuted in the top division in the 2019/20 season. The team plays its home matches at Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, located at Ciudad Real Madrid. For the fifth consecutive year, they will take part in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in the 2025/26 season.

There's nothing like football in Madrid! It’s no surprise, given that one of the city’s clubs, Real Madrid, holds more European titles than any other—15 as of the 2023/24 season. Two of those trophies were won in 2014 and 2016, both times in finals against their main rivals, Atlético de Madrid, another of the capital’s major teams.

If you come to Madrid, you can tour the Real Madrid and Atlético stadiums (as well as the Spanish National Side Museum) and even catch a match. Football at the highest level can be enjoyed in Madrid almost all year round. Three teams from the capital (Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano) and two from the surrounding Community of Madrid (Getafe and Leganés) compete in LALIGA EA SPORTS (formerly LaLiga Santander), the highest category of Spanish football.

LaLiga

The Spanish League usually kicks off during the last two weeks of August and finishes at the end of May. Twenty teams participate and play against each other at home and away, accumulating three points for a victory and one point for a draw.

While the matches that traditionally draw the largest crowds are those between Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, as well as clashes involving their long-standing rival Barcelona, all LaLiga fixtures generally attract sizeable attendances.

16 teams play in Liga F, the women's league, three of which are currently from Madrid: Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Madrid CFF (the 2025/26 season will begin on the last weekend of August and will come to a close on the last weekend of May).

The Cup

The second most prestigious national football competition is the King’s Cup (Copa del Rey), a knockout tournament. From the 2019/20 season onwards, the format was changed so that all rounds up to and including the quarter-finals are played as single-leg ties, hosted by the lower-division team.

The final is one of the biggest dates in the Spanish football calendar. This single match is held at a neutral venue, which changes each year depending on the finalists—although for the next few years, it is scheduled to take place in Seville. In the 2024/25 season, FC Barcelona claimed the trophy.

In the women’s competition, the equivalent tournament is the Queen’s Cup (Copa de la Reina). Matches are single elimination up to the semi-finals, which are played over two legs. The final is a one-off match staged at a different stadium each year. FC Barcelona won the 2024/25 edition.

UEFA Champions League and Europa League

Both Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, who finished second and third respectively in the 2024/25 season, will compete in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, the premier European club competition. In the women’s game, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid—who again finished second and third respectively in the 2024/25 season—will also take part in the 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League.

- Check for upcoming football matches in Madrid

- Top spots in Madrid for true football fans

Take a look at the Madrid Football Stadiums and Sports Cities map to quickly locate the capital's playing grounds and help you plan your visit with ease.

This original museum for football fans opened its doors in June 2023. 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 to 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. Furthermore, Legends has the LALIGA TwentyNine's LEGENDS restaurant, a new and revolutionary sports bar concept based on innovation and technology. This 600-m² establishment with capacity for more than 180 people is LaLiga’s first themed restaurant in Madrid and combines sport, innovation, gastronomy and leisure.