According to reports emerging on Friday, the Spanish giants are paying a monthly subscription to Twitter to guarantee the coveted blue ticks remain on the profiles of their star-studded squad.
The controversial decision by Musk, who recently acquired the social media platform, to switch to a paid verification model sparked outrage among celebrities and athletes alike.
Among those left ticked off was Cristiano Ronaldo, the most followed sports star on Twitter, who lost his verified status along with a host of other big names.
While Musk personally intervened to restore the blue ticks of selected celebrities such as LeBron James and William Shatner, many were left disgruntled by the new approach.
Sergio Ramos, who enjoyed many trophy-laden years at the Bernabeu, publicly criticised Musk for “forcing payments” to retain verification.
Amid the furore, Twitter then announced accounts with over one million followers would keep their blue ticks. However, Real Madrid, the most followed football club on Twitter with 47.3 million followers, have taken no chances.
Real Madrid Pays Twitter Subscription to Ensure Verified Status for Star-Studded Squad
According to reports, they are paying $1,000 per month to upgrade to a gold verified tick. Furthermore, they are paying an additional $50 monthly for each first-team player to ensure they remain verified, amounting to $1150 per month and $13,800 annually for their squad of 23.
While the bulk of Real’s global stars like Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr boast well over one million followers, fringe players such as Alvaro Odriozola, with 343,000 followers, and Jesus Vallejo, with 260,000, have also retained their blue ticks courtesy of the club’s subscription.
The move underlines Real Madrid’s immense global brand and their desire to maintain a high profile for both the club and their players across all social media platforms.
At $13,800 per year, the subscription cost is a drop in the ocean for one of the world’s richest football clubs as they look to stay ahead of the game online.
