The End of Santiago? As noted by Spanish media, Real Madrid appears to be increasingly adopting a shortened version of its iconic stadium's name. Recent actions surrounding Bernabéu suggest that the first name of the legendary Real Madrid president is quietly fading from use. Could an official change be on the horizon?

Commerce vs. tradition

According to Marca, Real Madrid’s approach to this change remains understated for now, with visible adjustments limited to specific marketing and merchandising efforts. The stadium’s official website now bears the name Bernabéu, as do the club’s social media profiles. The stadium tour has been rebranded as the Tour Bernabéu, while the holiday gift distributed during club events—a model of the stadium—features only the surname, omitting Santiago entirely.

Initial attempts to display the name on the stadium’s façade also focused solely on the surname: Bernabéu. Similarly, miniature stadium models sold in the official club store carry the same simplified name. This trend extends to other merchandise, including stadium-related souvenirs and cups sold during concerts. The name Santiago is nowhere to be found.

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A potential naming rights deal

At this stage, the name modification seems to be driven by commercial considerations, likely aiming to modernize the stadium’s branding. A shorter name could pave the way for the inclusion of a sponsor in the future. However, both a permanent name change and the addition of a corporate partner would require approval from the socios—Real Madrid’s members—something that has yet to occur.

Florentino Pérez honors the legacy of Santiago Bernabéu

In 2022, Florentino Pérez was asked whether the stadium might one day bear his own name. His response was unequivocal: The stadium will never bear my name; it will always be called Santiago Bernabéu. He was the one who created all of this; we are simply continuing his work. In 1947, he envisioned this stadium—a highly ambitious project. Everything we are, we owe to him. Pérez shared this sentiment during an interview with the Italian outlet Tuttosport.

He further emphasized that the stadium’s name is already a brand: Young people may not know who Bernabéu was, but they say, ‘Let’s meet at the Bernabéu.’ If they want, they can name the training complex after me, but the stadium will forever remain Santiago Bernabéu.

Should a naming rights deal be struck, it is speculated that the stadium’s name might follow the model of FC Barcelona, which added Spotify to its iconic Camp Nou.

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