Miami Dolphins to Play NFL's First Regular-Season Game in Spain

The NFL has announced its first-ever regular-season game in Spain, with the Miami Dolphins set to host a game at Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium in 2025.

The Miami Dolphins have been announced as the home team for the first-ever NFL game in Spain, which will take place in 2025 at Madrid's iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium. This historic event was jointly announced by the NFL, Real Madrid, and the city's mayor, Jose Almeida, who all expressed their excitement about bringing the NFL to Spain for the first time.

🤩 The @NFL is coming to the Santiago Bernabéu!
👏 It will be the first NFL match ever played in Spain!#NFLMadridGame | @MundoNFL pic.twitter.com/ae4NE8j9lQ

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 9, 2024

Brett Gosper, the NFL's senior vice-president, spoke at a press conference in Madrid, highlighting the significance of this event. “The exciting first-ever game in Spain underscores the NFL's continued commitment to expand its global footprint and reach new audiences around the world,” Gosper said. He also emphasized the appeal of bringing a renowned franchise like the Dolphins to a legendary stadium like the Santiago Bernabeu. “Bringing a historic franchise like the Dolphins to such an extraordinary and traditional ground like the Santiago Bernabeu stadium shows the global appeal of the NFL.”

Spain has become the third European country to host a regular-season NFL game, joining the UK and Germany. London has been a staple on the NFL calendar since 2007, while Germany began hosting games in 2022, with Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin all set to host matches. The NFL's international presence extends beyond Europe, with Mexico and Brazil also hosting games.

The first-ever regular season NFL game in Spain will be played at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in 2025, home of @realmadrid! 🇪🇸 #NFLMadridGame

¡El primer partido de temporada regular de la NFL en España se jugará en el icónico Santiago Bernabéu, la casa del Real Madrid! pic.twitter.com/Xsk34cvBoR

— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2024

The Miami Dolphins' traditional fanbase will miss out on one home game in 2025, as the team will play a regular-season game in Madrid. Season ticket holders were notified of this change in October. The Dolphins are one of two teams, along with the Chicago Bears, that have market deals with Spain. Despite finishing the current season with an 8-9 record and narrowly missing the playoffs, the Dolphins have a rich history, having won two championships in the 1970s.

The NFL is set to expand its international presence further in 2025, as club owners have voted to increase the number of international games from four to up to eight. This development comes as the current season's playoffs continue this weekend with the Divisional Round, followed by the Super Bowl on February 9th in New Orleans.