Is Giannis Antetokounmpo a Real Madrid fan?
Reportedly, yes. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Real Madrid fan, according to Goal.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Full fan file: every team he roots for, with receipts
“Back in the day Arsenal. Now probably Real Madrid.”
Goal, May 18, 2025. Backed by Athlon Sports (syndicated on Yardbarker) (2025) and ProtoThema English (2025).
Last checked November 4, 2026: the quote still matched the page word for word.
What has Giannis Antetokounmpo said about Real Madrid?
Giannis Antetokounmpo's Real Madrid fandom comes from a single remark that was widely picked up on May 18, 2025. Goal reported him saying: "Back in the day Arsenal. Now probably Real Madrid." Athlon Sports, syndicated on Yardbarker, carried the same line that day, and ProtoThema English summarized it as his favorite football team as a kid being Arsenal, with him now supporting Real Madrid.
The wording is hedged. He said "probably," so this is a stated rooting interest with a qualifier on it, not a declaration of lifelong loyalty. It is also a May 2025 statement, which makes it current as far as the sourcing goes, and the outlets are reporting what he said rather than a position he has laid out at length.
Did Giannis Antetokounmpo grow up a Real Madrid fan?
By his own account, no. The club he named for his younger years was Arsenal, and Real Madrid is the one he places in the present. Wikipedia says he was born in Athens, Greece, on December 6, 1994, and grew up in the Athens neighborhood of Sepolia in a primarily Nigerian household. Nothing in the sourcing ties him to Madrid by birth or upbringing, so the link to the club does not come from where he is from. It is a later preference, and he frames it that way himself.
When did Giannis Antetokounmpo become a Real Madrid fan?
No date is given for the switch. The only timing comes from the quote itself: Arsenal "back in the day," Real Madrid "now." The statement was reported in May 2025, which marks when he said it, not when his rooting interest changed. Over that stretch his basketball career moved from Filathlitikos (2011 to 2013) to the Milwaukee Bucks (2013 to 2026) and then the Miami Heat (2026 to present), but no source connects any of those moves to his football allegiance.
Does Giannis Antetokounmpo like Real Madrid?
He says he probably supports them now, which is the closest the sourcing gets. Nothing in it is critical of the club, and no rivalry or dispute is attached to his stated preference. He has also been reported as a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, so his rooting interests are not confined to one sport.
Which other athletes are Real Madrid fans?
Joel Embiid is the other player recorded as a Real Madrid fan, and his is a reported fandom too.
Questions people ask
Is Giannis Antetokounmpo a Real Madrid fan?
Reportedly, yes. Goal reported on May 18, 2025 that he said, "Back in the day Arsenal. Now probably Real Madrid."
Did Giannis Antetokounmpo grow up a Real Madrid fan?
No. He named Arsenal as his team from earlier on and Real Madrid as the one he follows now. He grew up in Sepolia, Athens.
Which other athletes are Real Madrid fans?
Joel Embiid is also listed as a Real Madrid fan, as a reported fandom.