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Real Madrid Reveal Limited Edition Jerseys After Pope Visit

Pope Leo XIV spoke at the Bernabéu on Monday.
Andrew Headspeath|
Real Madrid are gearing up for the Pope’s visit.
Real Madrid are gearing up for the Pope’s visit. | @elchiringuitotv on X

The Real Madrid club store was spotted selling jerseys bearing the name León XIV, after the Pope’s surprise admission that he “supports” Los Blancos.

A stage was set up at the Bernabéu from which Pope Leo XIV addressed attendees on Monday, June 8 as part of a trip across Spain.

The occasion marked the second time the Bernabéu has hosted a papal event, following John Paul II’s visit back in 1982.

Ahead of the Pope’s arrival, COPE reported that the official club store at the Bernabéu displayed limited-edition versions of the newly released 2026–27 season jerseys on mannequins with the name “León” and roman numerals “XIV”—priced at €195.

The new home jersey was released last week, featuring pink and green detailing alongside the classic white.

Prevost Supports Real Madrid

In a coup for Los Blancos, Pope Leo XIV revealed his fondness for the club while speaking to journalists during his flight to Madrid on Saturday.

MARCA quote the 70-year-old as insisting that the Pope “belongs to all teams”, but that Robert Francis Prevost—his name prior to his papacy—“is a Real Madrid supporter.”

The Chicago-born Pope did not provide any further details on his former fandom before assuming the Catholic church’s highest office, but the nugget was lapped up by Florentino Pérez who won re-election as Real Madrid president on Sunday.

At a campaign closing event on Saturday, Pérez said: “I want to welcome Pope Leo XIV, who told journalists on the plane that he supports Real Madrid. That is a source of pride and an honor for us. Welcome to Madrid.”

Later as part of his victory speech, Pérez told supporters: “You have shown the world what Real Madrid is all about, what this feeling that unites millions of people represents. Among them is the Pope, to whom I will personally give a shirt with his name and the number 1 on it when I see him this Monday.”

Huge Summer for Pérez

The opportunity to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Bernabéu will come as an honor for Pérez, who faces a big summer following re-election. The 79-year-old, who won Sunday’s vote 65-35 against challenger Enrique Riquelme, enters his seventh term as club president at a crucial juncture.

Real Madrid are now two seasons removed from their last major trophy, while recent months have been marked by on-pitch disappointment and off-pitch chaos.

José Mourinho is set to return to the club as manager, while Pérez has promised to make a club-record €150 million ($150 million) on a new “Galáctico” player.

Michael Olise has been reported as the target of Pérez’s interest. However, his club Bayern Munich have immediately dismissed the idea of a transfer. The likes of Enzo Fernández, João Neves and Julián Alvarez have also been suggested as rumored targets in recent days.

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Andrew Headspeath
ANDREW HEADSPEATH

Andy Headspeath is a Real Madrid correspondent for Sports Illustrated FC. Originally from the UK, the weather, culture and soccer lured him to Spain over a decade ago where he lives with his wife, son and two untrainable dogs. A player of unspeakably limited talents and only one fully functional knee, he has more than a decade's experience in a wide variety of editorial roles within sports media, from match reporting to in-depth feature writing and interviews. He specializes in soccer history and culture, as well as—of course—La Liga.

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