Real Madrid is working with Apple on a massive new project that will change the way we watch football. The idea is to let people experience matches at the Santiago Bernabéu from home using virtual reality glasses, as if they were sitting in the stadium. Club president Florentino Pérez first mentioned this plan in 2024 when he talked about creating an “Infinite Bernabéu” so that millions of fans who can’t get a ticket could still feel like they are inside the ground. That idea is now becoming a reality thanks to this partnership with Apple.
In an interview with GQ España, Florentino Pérez, Real Madrid President said Real Madrid and Apple are building what he calls a “gigantesco proyecto.” Using devices like the Apple Vision Pro and special cameras around the stadium, fans will be able to watch matches in a fully immersive way. The first step is an immersive documentary filmed during a Champions League game against Juventus. It will be released on Apple Vision Pro in 2026 and will let fans see the pitch, the tunnel, the dressing room and the stands in 3D, with sound that makes you feel like you’re really there on a big European night.
The ‘Infinite Bernabéu’
Pérez says this project isn’t, at least at first, about making money. For him, the priority is giving Real Madrid’s huge global fanbase the experience they dream of: feeling the Bernabéu from anywhere in the world. But the financial rewards follow naturally. With over a billion fans, even a small fee from a fraction of them per match would be substantial, yet Pérez insists that the fan experience comes first.
Inside the club, the project fits into an existing digital strategy. Real Madrid has a Transformation Department and a program called “RM Next,” which works on performance, fan engagement, digital content, cybersecurity and tech. The “Infinite Bernabéu” is part of this plan: fans will be able to pick a virtual seat — front row, behind the goal or higher up — and watch games through VR headsets, with 360-degree cameras covering the whole stadium.
The experience will rely on devices like the Apple Vision Pro and possibly AirPods with spatial audio so the sound changes depending on where you “sit” and look. So fans see the action and also hear the chants and the roar like they would in the real Bernabéu.
The clear downside is that this technology is still expensive, especially for younger supporters, even if cheaper VR headsets exist and prices may drop over time.
There are other obstacles. One is legal: it’s still unclear who will control and profit from these immersive broadcasts: will it be clubs, leagues or TV partners ? Another is fan behavior. Only a small part of Gen Z and millennials regularly use VR, even though many say they’re interested. They are used to watching sport while checking stats, messaging and reacting online, so they will need to make VR not just immersive, but also social and interactive.
Other top clubs are also exploring this virtual space. Manchester City announced in 2022 that it was creating a metaverse stadium with Sony. In 2024, Manchester United organized “The Dome” in Los Angeles, where fans watched a game surrounded by a huge LED screen and felt like they were inside Old Trafford.
But with Apple’s tech and Real Madrid’s global fanbase, the “Infinite Bernabéu” could be the most immersive virtual stadium in football. If it works, watching a game will no longer mean sitting on the sofa, but putting on a headset, choosing your seat in the Bernabéu and sharing the match with thousands of fans — wherever you are in the world.
