Real Madrid is a money-making machine that never stops. And it continues to break new records, something that is also reflected in the fact that it is the most valuable football club in the world. The latest milestone set by Florentino Pérez’s club concerns Emirates and formalises a substantial figure of €100 million. Yes, that is correct: to place its logo on Madrid’s white shirts, the airline from the United Arab Emirates has signed a new €100 million deal. Per season.
The announcement came from Real Madrid itself in a statement on its official website, confirming the renewal of its partnership with Emirates until 2031: “Real Madrid and Emirates have renewed their alliance so that the world’s largest international airline continues as main sponsor of our club until 2031, consolidating a relationship that will span almost two decades.”
According to the Spanish press, the previous agreement guaranteed Real Madrid an annual income of between €70 and €80 million. With the renewal, the value of this sponsorship is expected to move closer to €100 million per season, making Florentino Pérez’s club the football side with the highest revenue from shirt sponsorships.
The collaboration between Real Madrid and Emirates began in 2011, but it has been since 2013 that the “Fly Emirates” logo has appeared as the main sponsor on the club’s shirts. With this extension, the relationship between the two parties will therefore reach a twenty-year span, an unprecedented milestone. The renewal also represents a record in Spanish football: the presence of the Emirates brand on Real Madrid’s shirt will become the longest-running shirt sponsorship in La Liga history, confirming the strength of one of the most significant commercial partnerships in international football.
The continuation of the agreement with Madrid also confirms Emirates’ commitment to top-level football. Alongside Real Madrid, the airline also works with Arsenal (whose stadium is named the Emirates Stadium), Milan, Benfica and Lyon, as well as being the main sponsor of the FA Cup and the UAE Pro League, the top division in the United Arab Emirates.
In short: everyone is satisfied, especially Real Madrid’s old-new president Florentino Pérez, recently re-elected and immediately able to set another record. Yet another one.