The NFL will return to the Bernabéu in 2026 and 2027

The pilot event was such a success that repeating it became inevitable. That’s the shared view inside the NFL, Real Madrid, and the Santiago Bernabéu — the three pillars behind the historic American‑football game the league staged in Spain at the end of 2025.

All sides have now agreed to bring the NFL back, and as first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by AS, the league will return to the Bernabéu.

AS also learned exclusively that the deal spans two years, meaning the stadium will host regular‑season NFL games in both 2026 and 2027. The official announcement is expected in the coming days, underscoring just how pleased the league was with its November debut in Spain.

The first NFL game to be played in Spain

“We’re going to see more NFL games in Spain. We’re very happy here,” commissioner Roger Goodell told AS on the Bernabéu field on November 16 — the day the stadium welcomed the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders.

It was a landmark moment: 78,610 fans packed the stands for the first official NFL game ever played in Spain. The league had always framed the matchup as a one‑off, with future plans to be evaluated afterward. But the overtime win by Miami, the electric atmosphere, and the warm reception from the city and the country left the NFL thrilled. “It’s been fantastic — the hospitality, the community, the sense of unity…” Goodell added.

Three months later, AS confirmed that a full agreement is in place for the NFL to remain in Spain for the next two years. The official announcement will come shortly, ahead of the Super Bowl on February 8 in Santa Clara, near San Francisco.

Rafa De los Santos, the NFL’s managing director in Spain, will be in California as Spain joins four other confirmed international hosts for 2026: Melbourne (Australia), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), London (United Kingdom), and Munich (Germany). Paris, Mexico City, and Dublin — the latter two with previous hosting experience — are also pushing to be added once approvals are finalized.

The NFL’s global expansion is accelerating, and Spain has positioned itself squarely on that wave. In February, all 32 team owners unanimously approved raising the cap on international games to a maximum of eight per season (up from seven last year), with a long‑term goal of reaching 16 — one game abroad for every team.

Spain is now guaranteed to be part of that growth, with at least two more years of NFL action locked in. The Bernabéu will host again, despite competition from other major venues like the Metropolitano (home of last year’s Dolphins game) and Barcelona’s Camp Nou.

Which NFL teams could play in Madrid?

The teams that will play in Madrid haven’t been announced yet, but the leading candidates are the three franchises with official international marketing rights in Spain: the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, and Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bears have been active across the country for some time, the Dolphins loved their November experience and were open to returning, and the Chiefs — the newest arrival — have been vocal about wanting to play in Spain from day one. “We continue to be very vocal with the league about playing in Spain as soon as possible,” Chiefs chief marketing officer Lara Krug told AS.

The first step is now complete: the NFL’s presence in Spain is officially secured for the next two years.

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