As the NFL continues to expand its global footprint, the league will maintain a presence in Spain.
On Monday, the NFL announced that it has reached a multiyear partnership with the City of Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid to continue playing regular-season games at Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain. While it’s unclear how many years the pact is for, the agreement calls for at least one game to be played in Madrid during the 2026 season, one year after 78,610 fans attended a matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders at Bernabéu Stadium during the 2025 campaign.
“The 2025 NFL Madrid game at the Bernabéu was a pivotal moment for the sport in Spain, and we are delighted to confirm that we will return to play a regular season game in 2026 in a multi-year partnership with the City of Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid and Real Madrid C.F.,” NFL Spain Country Manager Rafa De Los Santos said in a release. “This multi-year commitment to playing games in Madrid – a world-class global cultural and sporting destination – underlines our commitment to the market and enables us to continue to engage fans year-round and invest long-term in initiatives like NFL Flag and youth participation nationwide.”
Added Real Madrid Director of Institutional Relations Emilio Butragueño: “It is an honor and a privilege for Real Madrid to host the NFL once again at the Bernabéu stadium. We experienced a historic first NFL Madrid game a few months ago, and this new agreement will allow the alliance between our club, the Community of Madrid, the City Council and the NFL to continue, strengthening the image of our capital and the Spanish brand around the world. The transformation of the Bernabéu stadium is a major boost for sport to continue to be a unifying force for millions of fans across all continents.”
In addition to continuing to host games in Spain, the league said that it will focus year-round efforts to develop its NFL Flag youth flag football program across the country. NFL Flag first launched in Spain in 2024 with further expansion planned in partnership with Federación Española de Fútbol Americano.
As for which teams will be playing in Spain in 2026, that has yet to be announced, although it’s worth noting that the Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins have marketing rights in the country as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program. Meanwhile, it was recently announced that the New Orleans Saints will face the Cleveland Browns in Paris, France, next season, with additional international showcases including three games in London, as well as matchups in Melbourne, Australia, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and Munich, Germany.