Original Adidas football polo Real Madrid CF 2003/04

Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally worn a white home kit since its inception. The honorific title real is Spanish for "royal" and was bestowed to the club by King Alfonso XIII in 1920 along with the crown in the club crest. Real Madrid have played their home matches in the 85,000-capacity Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid since 1947. Unlike most European sporting clubs, Real Madrid's members (socios) have owned and operated the club throughout its history. The official Madrid anthem is the "Hala Madrid y nada más", written by RedOne and Manuel Jabois. The club is one of the most widely supported in the world and is the most followed football club on social media according to the CIES Football Observatory as of 2024. It was estimated to be worth $6.6 billion in 2024, making it the world's most valuable football club. In 2024, Real Madrid became the first football club to make €1 billion ($1.08bn) in revenue according to the club's announcement.