- The NFL has been playing regular-season games in other countries since 2007, playing games in England, Mexico, Germany, and Brazil.
- The expansion continues as the Miami Dolphins will play a “home game” against another team in Madrid during the 2025 regular season.
- The game will be held at the renovated Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, the home of soccer giants Real Madrid.
The NFL has long been trying to expand their global footprint after dominating the United States since 1970. In 2007, they played their first game in London, England, and have since moved to Mexico, Germany, and Brazil.
Spain is the next stop in the NFL International series as it has been announced the Miami Dolphins will play a home game at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium next season.
Dolphins Play at Renovated Home of Real Madrid
The NFL made the announcement on January 17, and stated that the Dolphins would be the home team for this game.
Dolphins’ CEO Tom Garfinkel said:
"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 fan base. There is a hunger for football in this market, and we are proud to join with the NFL in growing the game internationally while engaging with old and new fans alike. With the unique synergy between Miami and Madrid, we believe this is only the beginning for us in this incredible region, and we look forward to bringing the excitement and community of Dolphins football to Spain in 2025 and beyond."
The game will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, which is the home of Real Madrid, arguably the biggest soccer club in the world. The Bernabéu has a capacity of almost 85,000 after recent renovations. The stadium has also been fitted to have a retractable field for football as Real Madrid, which owns the Bernabéu, wanted to expand to increase their revenue.
Miami was a smart choice as the host team as the city has a large Spanish population, which also loves soccer. The opponent will be announced sometime this spring, so prepare your entries for NFL same-game parlay contests for that week when the schedule is released.
It should also be noted that La Liga, Spain’s biggest soccer league, has been trying to stage a regular-season game in Miami for years now. There was supposed to be a game between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid there in December 2024, but it was postponed as La Liga couldn’t get approval in time.
Where will the NFL Try to Go Next?
The NFL isn’t going to stop their expansion plans, either. In May 2024, they announced that they were going to try to play a game in Saudi Arabia. Australia has also been tossed around as a potential spot for an NFL game, but for those locations, there is a lot to work out. The biggest issue is the time difference. Spain isn’t a problem as Madrid is in the same time zone as Munich, where the NFL have played twice, including last year. However, Abu Dhabi is eight hours ahead of New York, and 11 hours of Los Angeles. Sydney is 16 hours ahead of the “Big Apple”, and 19 hours ahead of Los Angeles.
But that doesn’t mean the NFL won’t do everything they can make it happen, so don’t be surprised if there is an NFL regular-season game in either of those places in the next two or three years.
