NFL reveals participant for regular-season game in Madrid
The Atlanta Falcons will be part of the NFL’s expanded international footprint in 2026.
The team will be one of the participants in next season’s regular-season game in Madrid, the league announced Tuesday.
The NFL hosted its first game in Madrid in 2025, with the Miami Dolphins beating the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime at Real Madrid CF’s Bernabéu, which will again host the upcoming matchup.
“We are incredibly proud to be part of an NFL regular season game in Madrid at the iconic Bernabéu,” Falcons President and CEO Greg Beadles said in a release. “Atlanta and Madrid are a fitting match as we will host two of Spain’s group stage matches in the upcoming FIFA World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This opportunity reflects the continued global growth of both the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons, and we look forward to deepening our connection with our European community by hosting another sporting contest here at home and returning to Europe for the fourth time in six seasons.”
Madrid had been the last site of the NFL’s nine international games in 2026 to have at least one participant revealed. The league will also hold games in London (three), Mexico City, Paris, Munich, Rio de Janeiro and Melbourne.
The Falcons are welcoming a new regime led by two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski. All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson, who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,298), paces the Atlanta offense.
