Real Madrid has claimed a first for the sports industry with the launch of a virtual reality app, reports SportBusiness.

Real said Real Madrid Virtual World serves as the first multi-device application with virtual reality launched by a sports club. The app has been developed by Astosch Technology in collaboration with Microsoft, an existing commercial partner of Real.

Available for free for iOS and Android devices, the app will connect fans in real time, granting them the ability to communicate with each other in a virtual version of the club's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Fans will be able to walk through the stadium, see the trophy cabinets, learn about the history of the club, view the trophies in 3D and access thousands of unpublished pieces of content.

Real said another novelty is the creation of a totally customised avatar with which the user will experience the tour, interacting with other avatars from across the world and via the multilingual chat function in real time. Fans will be able to write in their chosen language, with the recipient receiving messages in their chosen language.

In addition, users can interact in real time and share their experiences at any time through their social networks. The application is connected to the existing Real Madrid app.