Spain to host NFL regular-season game in Madrid during 2025 season
LAS VEGAS -- The NFL's explosive growth has prompted the league to add a new destination to its international slate: Madrid, Spain.
The NFL will hold its first game in the capital of Spain in 2025, the league announced during a Friday new conference at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. In partnership with Real Madrid, the game will take place at the recently renovated Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home to the world-famous La Liga soccer club.
"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 in a statement. "We are proud to partner with Real Madrid C.F., a global brand, together with the City of Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid, to bring a spectacular regular season game to Spain at the world-class Santiago Bernabéu Stadium."
In just two months, the NFL has swiftly expanded its international footprint. Spain will be the fifth different country to participate in the NFL's International Games, following the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany and Brazil, and the third European nation to do so. Friday's announcement followed a Dec. 13 announcement that Brazil will host an NFL regular-season game in the 2024 campaign, the first ever to be held in South America. The Philadelphia Eagles are the designated team to play in the São Paulo game, which will take place in Week 1 on Friday, Sept. 6.
It's all by design, according to Peter O'Reilly, NFL executive VP of club business, international and league events.
"In December, NFL owners voted to expand the number of NFL games played internationally every year, moving from four league-operated games to now up to eight
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