The NFL has announced that Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium will host a regular-season game in 2025, with Spain becoming the fifth country to host an international matchup.
NFL owners voted last year to expand the number of international games played per season to eight, starting from the 2025 campaign.
In 2023, three games were played at two separate venues in London – two at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one at Wembley Stadium – while two more were held at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany.
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On Monday, the league confirmed that the Philadelphia Eagles will open their 2024 season at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Games have also previously been held in Mexico City, and Spain will become the league’s fifth international destination next year.
“Playing a game in Madrid in 2025 highlights the continued expansion of the league’s global footprint and the accelerated ambitions to take our game to more fans around the world,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
The @NFL is coming to the Santiago Bernabéu!
It will be the first NFL match ever played in Spain!#NFLMadridGame | @MundoNFL pic.twitter.com/ae4NE8j9lQ— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) February 9, 2024
“We are proud to partner with Real Madrid C.F., a global brand, together with the city of Madrid, to bring a spectacular regular-season game to Spain at the world-class Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.”
Madrid’s iconic Bernabeu home has been subject to extensive renovations over the last five years, with an inauguration ceremony for the completed stadium due to be held after the end of the Spanish football season in May.
