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The National Football League will return to Madrid, Spain to play regular-season games at the iconic Bernabéu Stadium — home to Real Madrid C.F — in a multiyear partnership with the City of Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid, beginning in the 2026 NFL regular season.
“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.,” said NFL Spain Country Manager Rafa De Los Santos. “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.”
“It is an honor and a privilege for Real Madrid to host the NFL once again at the Bernabéu stadium,” said Real Madrid Director of Institutional Relations Emilio Butragueño. “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.”
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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.
