The Atlanta Falcons will play in 2026 the second regular season game of the NFL in Madridas part of the league’s ambitious international expansion plan.
The match will be played in the stadium Santiago Bernabéu, home of Real Madridalthough the Falcons’ opponent will be confirmed when the NFL releases the full season schedule later this year. The Atlanta team is scheduled to be the home team for this match.
Madrid welcomes the NFL again
It will be the second time that the Spanish capital hosts an official NFL game. The first was played last season, when the Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime before 78,610 spectators at the Bernabéu.
The league was satisfied with the impact of the event and in February announced a multi-year agreement to continue organizing matches in Madrid, considering Spain a strategic market for the growth of American football.
According to the NFL, Spain has approximately 11 million fans, making it one of the European markets with the greatest potential.
Part of a record international expansion
The game in Madrid will be part of a historic schedule of nine international NFL games in 2026, the most ever.
In addition to Spain, the league will take matches to new markets such as:
France
Australia
Brazil
These will join cities that have already hosted in previous years such as London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Dublin, Mexico City, São Paulo and Toronto.
In total, the NFL has played 62 regular season games outside the United States.
A special connection between Atlanta and Spain
The president and CEO of the Falcons, Greg Beadles, highlighted the symbolism of the event and the relationship between both cities.
“We are incredibly proud to be part of a regular season NFL game in Madrid, at the iconic Bernabéu,” he said in the league’s official statement.
Beadles also recalled that Atlanta will host two matches in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which creates a sports exchange between both cities.
Falcons international experience
For Atlanta it will be their fifth appearance in an international match and the fourth in the last six years. The team has already played outside the United States in:
Toronto (2013)
London (2014, 2021 and 2023)
Berlin (2025)
NFL Global Strategy
The league also continues to expand its Global Markets program, which grants teams marketing rights in international markets to develop their fan base.
In the case of Spain, the teams with commercial rights are:
Miami Dolphins
Kansas City Chiefs
Chicago Bears
The NFL also plans to promote the development of flag football in the country, a discipline that will be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The league’s ultimate goal is clear: continue to increase the number of international matches until each team plays at least one game outside the United States each season, establishing American soccer as a truly global spectacle.
