NFL to return to Madrid Bernabéu Stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, February 4^th, 2026

Image: NFL

The National Football League (NFL) is set for a return to Spain to play regular-season games at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium.

NFL.com said the games are part of a multiyear partnership with the City of Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid, beginning in the 2026 NFL regular season.

The move comes after the NFL game staged at the Bernabéu stadium in 2025 attracted more than 78,000 fans and boosted Madrid’s economy by more than €70 million.

The Bernabéu Stadium is a retractable roof football stadium in Madrid, Spain. With a seating capacity of 83,186 following its extensive renovation completed in late 2024, the stadium has the second-largest seating capacity for a football stadium in Spain. It serves as the home of Real Madrid CF.

NFL Spain Country Manager Rafa De Los Santos said, “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.

“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.”

Real Madrid Director of Institutional Relations Emilio Butragueño added, “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.”

Spain is an important market for the NFL globally with 11 million fans. As part of a broader multi-year commitment to growing the game at every level in Spain, the NFL will also focus on year-round efforts to develop NFL Flag across the country.

Flag football, the non‑contact format of the game, will make its debut as an Olympic sport in Los Angeles 2028 (LA28).

NFL Flag, the league’s official youth flag football program, launched in Spain in 2024 and is already reaching children in schools across Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza, with further expansion planned in partnership with Federación Española de Fútbol Americano (FEFA).

The Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins have marketing rights in Spain as part of the league’s Global Markets Program, an initiative that awards NFL clubs marketing rights in markets outside of the U.S. to build brand awareness and fandom through fan engagement, events and commercial opportunities.

The NFL has confirmed the following 2026 regular season international games, with additional games to be announced:

One game in Melbourne, Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, featuring the Los Angeles Rams as one of the participating teams
One game in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil at the Maracanã Stadium
One game in Munich, Germany at FC Bayern Munich Arena
One game in Mexico City, Mexico at Estadio Banorte
Three games in London, U.K.
One game in Madrid, Spain at the Bernabéu Stadium — home to Real Madrid C.F.

Sixty-two regular season NFL games have been played around the world with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto having hosted games to date.

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