Madrid wins. Again.
If you've spent any time near the Santiago Bernabéu on a Champions League night, you’ve heard it. It’s not just a song. It’s a wall of sound. Real Madrid cómo no te voy a querer has become the definitive anthem of the most successful club in history, yet most people actually get its origins slightly wrong. It’s weirdly simple, incredibly catchy, and arguably the most intimidating thing a visiting team can hear when the white shirts start pouring forward in the 88th minute.
Where did it actually come from?
Most fans think this chant has been around since the days of Alfredo Di Stéfano. It hasn't. While the sentiment is eternal, the specific phrasing of cómo no te voy a querer—which translates to "how could I not love you"—actually gained its massive footprints in the modern era.
Interestingly, the melody and the core hook didn't even start in Spain. Like many of the best football chants, it’s a traveler. It’s widely accepted among ultras and football historians that the rhythm was popularized by fans in Latin America, specifically in Mexico with Pumas UNAM. They used it to celebrate their own identity. But when it crossed the Atlantic and hit the stands of the Bernabéu, it morphed into something else entirely. It became a celebration of European royalty.
The lyrics are straightforward: “Cómo no te voy a querer, cómo no te voy a querer, si fuiste campeón de Europa por décima vez.” Wait.
The lyrics change. That’s the genius of it. Every time Real Madrid adds a trophy to the cabinet, the song updates. After the historic "La Décima" in Lisbon in 2014, the fans sang about the tenth. Then it was the eleventh in Milan. Then the twelfth in Cardiff. Then the thirteenth in Kyiv. By the time they hit the fourteenth in Paris and the fifteenth in London, the song had become a living, breathing ledger of the club’s dominance.
Why this chant hits differently at the Bernabéu
There is a specific psychology to the Real Madrid cómo no te voy a querer chant. Most football songs are about struggle, local pride, or hating the rival. Think of "You'll Never Walk Alone"—it’s beautiful, but it’s about perseverance through a storm.
Real Madrid’s chant is different. It’s pure, unadulterated flex.
It’s a song about winning. It basically says: "How could I not love you when you keep bringing back the biggest trophy in the world?" It’s arrogant. It’s joyful. It’s exactly what Real Madrid represents to the rest of the football world. Honestly, if you aren't a Madridista, it's probably the most annoying song on the planet. But if you are? It’s the sound of inevitable victory.
📖 Related: How to watch vikings game online free without the usual headache
The "Decimocuarta" and the "Decimoquinta" shifts
The 2021-2022 Champions League run was basically a long-form music video for this chant. Think about those games. PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City. Madrid was dead in all of them. Buried. Done. And then, the Bernabéu would start.
The Grada Fans (the white-clad singing section behind the south goal) would kick off the rhythm. It starts with the palms of the hands. Clap-clap-clap. Then the lyrics. When Rodrygo scored those two goals against City in stoppage time, the stadium didn't just explode; it sang. At that moment, the chant wasn't just a song—it was a psychological weapon. It tells the opposing team that they are playing against a ghost, a legend, and a trophy room that won't allow them to win.
Real Madrid fans aren't just singing to the players. They are singing to the history.
Is it better than "Hala Madrid y Nada Más"?
This is a debate you’ll hear in the bars around Chamartín. You have the official anthem, the old "Las Mocitas Madrileñas." Then you have the epic, cinematic "Hala Madrid y Nada Más" composed by RedOne for the tenth title.
But Real Madrid cómo no te voy a querer is the people's anthem.
The official songs are played over the PA system. They are polished. They have tenors and orchestras. This chant? It’s raw. It’s sung a cappella. It’s the one the players join in on during the celebrations at the Plaza de Cibeles. When Florentino Pérez stands on the balcony of the Madrid regional government building, this is what the 50,000 people below are screaming at him.
The global spread of the rhythm
You’ll hear variations of this chant everywhere now. From the Bundesliga to the MLS, the "Cómo no te voy a querer" melody is a staple. But it never feels quite the same. Why? Because the lyrics usually lack the specific "Champion of Europe" punchline that makes the Madrid version so devastating.
When a team in a second division somewhere sings it, it’s a nice song. When the Bernabéu sings it, it’s a statement of fact backed by more silverware than any other club on earth.
👉 See also: Liechtenstein National Football Team: Why Their Struggles are Different Than You Think
It’s also worth noting how the chant has bridged the gap between different generations of fans. You’ll see grandfathers who remember Gento and Puskás singing it alongside kids wearing Vinícius Jr. jerseys. It has unified the fanbase in a way that few things other than the crest itself have.
What most people get wrong about the "meaning"
People think the song is just about the trophies. They think it’s a "glory hunter" song. That’s a bit of a shallow take, honestly.
The "love" mentioned in the song—cómo no te voy a querer—is actually about the way they win. It’s about the "Remontada" culture. It’s about the fact that this club refuses to die. The song is a promise: as long as we love you, and as long as you are the kings of Europe, the cycle continues. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
How to experience it like a local
If you’re planning to head to Madrid, don’t just show up at kickoff.
The real magic happens about 90 minutes before the game. The "Bus Ride" (the recibimiento) is where the chant truly lives. Thousands of fans line the Calle de Concha Espina. The team bus turns the corner, surrounded by police on horseback and green smoke. The crowd starts the beat.
Cómo no te voy a querer...
By the time the players get to the locker room, that song is vibrating in their bones. It’s a reminder of the pressure. To play for Madrid is to be loved, but that love is conditional on the pursuit of the next Champions League trophy.
Technical breakdown of the chant’s impact
From a purely acoustic standpoint, the chant works because of its repetitive, rising tension.
✨ Don't miss: Cómo entender la tabla de Copa Oro y por qué los puntos no siempre cuentan la historia completa
- The Hook: The first four words are an ascending melody.
- The Response: The second line mirrors the first, building volume.
- The Payoff: The final line (si fuiste campeón...) is usually shouted rather than sung.
It’s designed for maximum decibel output. In the newly renovated Bernabéu, with the roof closed? It’s deafening. The sound bounces off the steel structure and stays trapped on the pitch. Opposing managers like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have mentioned the "atmosphere" at the Bernabéu, but they are specifically talking about the moment the stadium decides to stop watching the game and start participating in it via this chant.
Actionable insights for the traveling fan
If you want to be part of this experience rather than just a tourist with a selfie stick, there are a few things you should know.
First, learn the rhythm. It isn't a fast song. It’s a march.
Second, don't start it yourself unless you're in the Grada Fans section. Wait for the signal. It usually kicks in after a big save, a crucial tackle, or—obviously—a goal.
Third, pay attention to the number. Currently, fans are singing about being champions "for the 15th time" (decimoquinta). If you sing "decimocuarta," you’re living in the past. And at Real Madrid, the past is only relevant as a stepping stone to the next trophy.
Final thoughts on the anthem of kings
The beauty of Real Madrid cómo no te voy a querer is its simplicity. It doesn't need a lyric sheet. It doesn't need a famous singer to lead it. It’s a grassroots expression of a club that views the European Cup as its birthright.
Next time you see a Champions League game and the camera pans to a distraught opponent while the white stands are bouncing, listen closely. You’re hearing the sound of football's most successful institution celebrating its own inevitability.
To participate in the culture of Real Madrid, you have to do more than just wear the jersey. You have to understand the specific weight of the songs.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Memorize the "Decimoquinta" version: Practice the Spanish pronunciation of decimoquinta (deh-thee-mo-keen-tah) to stay current with the 2024-2025/2026 era.
- Visit the Museum: Go to the Bernabéu Tour. Seeing the 15 trophies in a row while the chant plays in the background of the exhibits puts the lyrics into a physical perspective.
- Arrive early: Be at the Calle de Concha Espina two hours before any knockout stage match to hear the chant in its most primal, raw form.
Real Madrid is a club built on myths, and this chant is the soundtrack to those myths coming true, over and over again.