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The Real Madrid club shop was seen selling jerseys printed with the name León XIV, following the Pope's unexpected declaration that he "supports" Los Blancos.
A stage was erected at the Bernabéu from which Pope Leo XIV addressed the crowd on Monday, June 8, as part of a wider tour through Spain.
The event marked only the second time the Bernabéu has served as a venue for a papal occasion, the first being John Paul II's visit in 1982.
Prior to the Pope's arrival, COPE reported that the official Bernabéu club shop had displayed limited-edition versions of the newly launched 2026–27 season kits on mannequins bearing the name "León" and the roman numerals "XIV"—on sale for €195.
The new home kit was unveiled last week, incorporating pink and green accents alongside the traditional white.
Prevost Supports Real Madrid
❗️Real Madrid have made a special personalised shirt in honour of the Pope. @elchiringuitotv 👕 pic.twitter.com/ij6W5n1f7D
In a welcome boost for Los Blancos, Pope Leo XIV disclosed his affection for the club while speaking with reporters aboard his flight to Madrid on Saturday.
MARCA quotes the 70-year-old as stating that the Pope "belongs to all teams", yet that Robert Francis Prevost—his name before assuming the papacy—"is a Real Madrid supporter."
The Chicago-born Pope offered no further elaboration on his past allegiance before taking on the Catholic Church's highest role, but the revelation was enthusiastically embraced by Florentino Pérez, who secured re-election as Real Madrid president on Sunday.
At a campaign closing rally on Saturday, Pérez remarked: "I want to extend a warm welcome to 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, during his victory address, Pérez told supporters: "You have shown the world what Real Madrid stands for, what this feeling that brings millions of people together truly means. Among them is the Pope, to whom I will personally present a shirt with his name and the number 1 on it when I meet him this Monday."
Huge Summer for Pérez
🙌 The Bernabéu gets ready for the visit of Pope Leo XIV. pic.twitter.com/JbIyl9mBHp
The chance to welcome Pope Leo XIV at the Bernabéu will be a proud moment for Pérez, who now faces a pivotal summer following his re-election. The 79-year-old, who claimed Sunday's vote 65-35 over rival candidate Enrique Riquelme, begins his seventh term as club president at a critical moment.
Real Madrid are now two seasons without a major trophy, and recent months have been defined by on-field struggles and off-field turbulence.
José Mourinho is expected to return to the club as head coach, while Pérez has pledged to spend a club-record €150 million ($150 million) on a new "Galáctico" signing.
Michael Olise has been identified as a primary target for Pérez. However, his club Bayern Munich have swiftly ruled out any possibility of a sale. Names such as Enzo Fernández, João Neves and Julián Alvarez have also emerged as potential targets in recent days.
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.