A Guide to Football in Madrid

Madrid is without a doubt one of Europe’s footballing capitals. The city’s name is synonymous with that of the world’s most successful club, Real Madrid, but it is also home to a variety of clubs both large and small with passionate support and noble histories of their own. Here, you will find a guide to the three first-division clubs within the city limits, each with a unique culture woven into the fabric of the city.

Real Madrid

With a record thirty-six Spanish and fifteen European championships, Real Madrid dominate the city’s football scene. Hailing from the city’s wealthy northern side, the club plays its home matches at the iconic Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, a true cathedral of football. Real Madrid prides itself above all on its class, from their ‘royal’ title to their pure white kits, galáctico star players, and, of course, their overflowing trophy case.

The stadium has an excellent museum and self-guided tour, but the best experience is to attend a match. Tickets are relatively easy to come by on the club’s official website, just be sure to check when they go on sale to give yourself the best chance to guarantee a seat. For a great pre-match experience, head to the north side of the stadium a couple hours before the game, where fans congregate in the plaza along Calle del Doctor Fleming and at the bars along Calle de Rafael Salgado. For a classic matchday bite to eat, stop at Restaurante José Luis for a pincho de tortilla and beer.

Atlético de Madrid

Though they are a highly successful club in their own right, Atlético Madrid live in the shadow of their crosstown neighbors, and they pride themselves on representing everything that Real Madrid does not. Though they now play their home matches at the modern Estadio Metropolitano at the eastern edge of the city, the club originally hails from Madrid’s south side, far removed from the glamor of Chamartín. Atleti are one of the most widely supported teams in the country and have fans spread across the city, but their fans still have something of an inferiority complex when it comes to their hated neighbors. The animosity has only grown in recent years, with Real Madrid handing Atleti two stinging defeats in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals.

Personally, I find the atmosphere of Atleti much more engaging than that of Real Madrid, with the fans relentlessly singing and chanting for their team, doing their very best to make the difference to help their team secure a result. The pregame atmosphere is especially memorable, with flares lighting the sky outside the stadium before big matches. Get off the metro one stop before the stadium at Las Musas to mix with the home crowd, grabbing some beers from a bar or a minimarket before walking over to the stadium.

Rayo Vallecano

Though often overlooked in favor of their larger neighbors, Rayo Vallecano offers an old-school atmosphere that is increasingly hard to find in the corporate world of top-flight European football. Firmly entrenched in the working-class barrio of Vallecas, which has a long history of leftist activism and resistance against the Francoist dictatorship, the club is extremely proud of its roots, and its supporters are loyal through thick and thin.

The Estadio de Vallecas is small and intimate, and although it could also be described as decrepit, it retains an authentic character that for me represents the essence of the beautiful game. The atmosphere that the fans create here is second-to-none in Europe, and they have helped the team score some famous victories here in recent years against giants like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

In keeping with their old-school vibe, tickets are only sold in person at the stadium box office, usually a few days before the match; you can check the club’s Instagram account for information. For the best pre-match experience, head to the Mercado de Numancia a couple of hours before kickoff, where the local fans like to congregate on matchdays. Rayo are a truly special club, and they are sure to win your heart if you make the trip to Vallecas to watch them play.