The Bernabéu shop miracle: From Real Madrid to the NFL in 48 hours

Around noon local time (6am ET) on Friday, the NFL Shop at the Bernabéu swung open its doors to hundreds of eager fans lined up outside. Just days earlier, the 30,000-square-foot Real Madrid store had been stacked with club merchandise. Now, it’s fully stocked with gear from all 32 NFL teams.

The league took over nearly the entire stadium shop ahead of Sunday’s Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Commanders matchup at the Bernabéu. That includes special displays such as the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the Bernabéu museum and a fully remodeled retail space that has become the crown jewel of the stadium these days.

Behind the Scenes of a 48-Hour makeover

Pierre Leclerc, Fanatics’ retail director and the mastermind behind the NFL Shop, spoke to AS during the grand opening. “I lead a team that travels the world delivering NFL products to fans. This was a tough logistics challenge,” Leclerc said. “We have teams doing this year-round, moving from stadium to stadium. Last month we were at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and in Berlin this past Sunday. With Real Madrid’s help, we emptied their store in one day and launched this NFL Shop in 48 hours. By Tuesday, it’s back to being a Real Madrid store. It’s an extremely fast turnaround.”

Leclerc was wearing a promotional t-shirt for the Dolphins vs. Commanders game in Madrid as he spoke.

Thousands Expected, Excitement Through the Roof

According to Leclerc, the pop-up sees between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors on a normal day, with numbers skyrocketing on game day. “On Sunday, we could see around 20,000 people,” he said.

Inside, the store feels endless. Every trace of Real Madrid merchandise has disappeared, replaced by a mind-blowing array of NFL gear: jerseys, helmets, footballs, flags, foam fingers, socks, underwear, casual clothing, baby apparel, scarves, hats, caps, memorabilia from the Madrid game, and various league collections. Prices reflect the frenzy - an official game jersey, for example, costs around $140. But for NFL fans, the excitement is worth every penny.

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