Apple and Real Madrid team up for huge VR football experience
Real Madrid has spent the last decade modernising both its stadium and its global brand, but the club is now extending that effort into a new digital realm.
A documentary released for Apple Vision Pro, first reported by AS, reveals that the Spanish giants are developing an immersive virtual-reality platform designed to let supporters experience the Santiago Bernabéu from anywhere in the world.
The initiative, called Infinite Bernabeu, marks one of the club’s most ambitious attempts yet to merge top-tier sport with emerging technology.
Why Madrid is going all-In on immersive tech?
European clubs have increasingly turned toward digital engagement tools as streaming, global fandom, and VR hardware evolve. Real Madrid, with one of the largest followings of any sports team, has been especially aggressive in trying to turn its global audience into a more connected community.
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The club’s renovated Bernabéu already features a retractable pitch, updated hospitality areas, and a high-resolution wraparound video board, investments meant to modernize the in-stadium experience.
The next step, according to the documentary, is exporting that experience to supporters who may never set foot in Madrid.
What the documentary reveals
In the film, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez explains that the project was built around the idea of recreating the “feeling” of being inside the Bernabéu rather than simply offering a visual replica.
“We are developing a new Virtual Reality project for the Bernabeu,” Pérez says in the documentary, adding that the club’s goal is to allow remote viewers to feel as though they are watching a match from inside the venue. “Every fan around the world can literally feel like he’s watching the game right at the Bernabeu.”
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Apple’s senior executive Eddy Cue appears alongside Pérez, underscoring Apple’s growing interest in sports-related immersive content.
Vision Pro has already launched partnerships in entertainment, but collaborating with a club of Real Madrid’s size suggests a broader strategic push into live sports environments.
A philosophy rooted in excellence
During the program, Pérez frames the project as part of a longer creative journey. He reflects on the influence of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, saying the late entrepreneur’s emphasis on innovation over short-term revenue shaped Madrid’s approach.
“Steve Jobs wasn’t obsessed with financial results, he was obsessed with creating extraordinary products,” Pérez says. He adds that Real Madrid has taken a similar philosophy while developing Infinite Bernabeu: “When you focus on excellence, the rest comes naturally.”
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A global audience in mind
The club president also notes that Madrid’s worldwide fan base, estimated in the documentary at around one billion, has pushed the organization to think beyond traditional broadcasting.
For supporters on other continents, the VR project may provide a version of the matchday atmosphere many never get to experience firsthand.
“Every fan that comes to the Bernabeu must feel like they’re living something unique, and technology is helping us do exactly that,” Pérez says.
He reiterates a comment he has made in past interviews, suggesting that the internet “was created for Real Madrid” because it allows fans everywhere to stay connected to the team in real time.
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Opening the stadium to the world
The initiative, which the club says has been years in development with Apple, is formally titled Infinite Bernabeu. Pérez describes it as an effort to “open the doors of the Bernabeu to the entire planet, with zero limits,” concluding that the virtual experience is intended to feel “exactly the same as being here.”
The project has no publicly announced release date, but its reveal signals how rapidly sports organizations are preparing for the next wave of digital fandom, one where geography matters less, and where the stadium extends far beyond its physical walls.
Sources: AS, Apple Vision Pro documentary
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