NFL Announces 'Home Team' For First-Ever Game In Madrid
01/17/2025 09:51 AM
The NFL's plans for global expansion have ramped up over the last few years, and the league is looking to move into even more markets around the world. What started as an annual game overseas in London has blossomed into something way more intricate.
This season, teams played in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Brazil. The league will have a game in Spain for the first time next season, and ahead of the NFL's schedule release for 2025, we already know one of the teams that will be participating.
On Friday, the NFL announced that the Miami Dolphins would be the "home team" for the NFL's inaugural game in Spain. The game will be played at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu - the home of soccer giants Real Madrid.
¡Nos vemos en Madrid! 🇪🇸
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) January 17, 2025
We will be hosting the NFL's first game in Madrid next season. pic.twitter.com/vfBltXlzkR
The Santiago Bernabeu features a retractable field that can be used for American football, providing the NFL with a surface it can use without fear of damaging the pitch Real Madrid plays on.
This season opened with the NFL playing in a new country for the first time, as the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Backers met for a Week 1 matchup in Brazil.
"We are thrilled to play the NFL's inaugural game in Spain, a country of rich history, tradition and passion and home to a vibrant Dolphins fanbase," said Dolphins vice chairman, president and CEO Tom Garfinkel.
The Dolphins and the Chicago Bears are the NFL's representatives for Spain in the Global Markets Program, which allows a team to establish a greater presence in an international location.
Miami's opponent for their game in Spain will be revealed this spring, closer to the date of the NFL's full schedule reveal.
As the NFL continues to expand into other major cities around the world, we'll see if some of soccer's more iconic venues are used to showcase the NFL for the first time ever.
The league opened the season with the first-ever game between two teams in Brazil, and next year will mark another milestone with the first-ever game in Spain. As the full 2025 schedule is eventually released, we'll see who the Dolphins end up playing in this overseas debut.
Related: NFL Announces Location For First Ever Game In Spain
