Real Madrid dominates Europe in a controversial statistic

No club in Europe's top five leagues has received as many penalties as Real Madrid in the 2025/26 season. This statistic not only highlights the effectiveness of the Royal club's approach in the penalty area but also sparks debates regarding referees' roles.

After 29 rounds in La Liga, Real Madrid has been awarded 14 penalties – averaging nearly one every two matches. This figure stands out compared to other European clubs. Following them is Bayern Munich with 11 penalties, while Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona both have 9. The next group includes Mainz, Valencia, and Brentford (8 penalties), while Chelsea, Toulouse, Marseille, Pisa, and AC Milan have 7.

These penalties have contributed crucial points for Real Madrid. There were 6 matches where penalty decisions directly impacted the outcome, from opening the score, equalizing, to securing wins for Los Blancos. Meanwhile, Barcelona – the next club in the top group – only had 4 matches clearly benefiting from penalties.

More notably, Real Madrid also leads in the difference between penalties awarded and conceded, with a +10 margin. Bayern Munich follows with +9, while Dortmund, Mainz, and Chelsea each have +6. Barcelona has a +5 margin. These numbers further reinforce Real Madrid's dominant position regarding penalties.

"Real Madrid's overwhelming penalty statistics once again raise questions about bias in La Liga referees", Mundo Deportivo wrote. Many fans of other clubs have strongly protested on social media. Some even created videos suggesting Real Madrid could receive penalties from any contact, whether inside or outside the penalty area, and even in players' personal lives.

Nevertheless, from a technical perspective, Real Madrid's frequent presence in the opponent's penalty area, along with their constant pressure, also makes them more likely to earn penalties. But when the gap with others is too large, controversy is inevitable.