The NFL, which will be playing in Brazil in 2024, continues to make moves abroad
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Earlier this week, the NFL announced the Philadelphia Eagles would play in the first South American regular-season game in Brazil on Friday of Week 1. In 2025, the NFL will be headed to Spain.
On Friday, the NFL revealed that there will be a regular-season game played in Madrid, Spain next year. The game will take place at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, which is home to Real Madrid C.F. The NFL is continuing to show that expanding its international footprint is important. The league has held games in London, Germany and Mexico. Up next are Brazil and Spain.
“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.”
The teams who will be playing in this special matchup were not announced on Friday, but the NFL did point out that the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears have international marketing rights in Spain due to the NFL’s Global Markets Program, so it’s fair to expect one of those teams could play host in this game. The Dolphins just played in Frankfurt, Germany, last season, while the Bears held a five-day clinic last year with kids in Barcelona and Madrid to promote the league, per The AP.
“Everybody is optimistic that in the future there is going to be a game here in Spain at some point, at some time,” Gustavo Silva, the Bears’ manager of youth football and community programs, told The Associated Press. “I couldn’t tell you any specifics, but obviously the Chicago Bears would love to be a team that plays here.”
