One of the most notable aspects of the new Santiago Bernabéu is being constructed right now: the exterior of the stadium. The first of the 70,000 panels that will ultimately cover the stadium's exterior has been fastened to the building. On Friday, the cladding's 14 stainless steel rails were fixed into place.

By the time Real Madrid hosts Betis on September 4 - the first home game of the 2022/3 LaLiga season to be played there - more will have been added on the south end of the stadium, extending along and above the skeleton that hangs from the walkway (the so-called Sky Room), giving the stadium a futuristic look that will make the Bernabéu completely unrecognizable.

When everything is finished, the metallic panels that cover the stadium's exterior will change color depending on the angle from which it is viewed. They are still enclosed in a plastic covering for the time being.

The renovation work at the Bernabéu has picked up speed recently. To ensure that everything will be finished by the first weekend in September, work is still being done in almost 400 different areas.

The underground vault, which will house the retractable pitch plates, is almost finished. The grass trays are also under construction. Meanwhile, construction is continuing on the area that will house the locker rooms and players' tunnel.

Madrid is utilizing the competition's break to hasten the stadium's renovation. Hopefully, work on installing a video scoreboard and completing work on a number of other fronts, such as the VIP areas, catering and restaurant, can be done during the month when there is no competition (in November and December for the 2022 World Cup Qatar). The goal of the club is to complete everything by September 2023.