THE MIAMI DOLPHINS will feature in the first NFL game to be held in Spain as the league expands its international footprint, organisers announced on Friday.
Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium will host the regular-season fixture in the Spanish capital with the date and opponent to be confirmed in the spring.
“It is a great honour that a competition of the prestige and size of the NFL has chosen the Bernabeu to make it its own home,” Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told a press conference.
The recently refurbished venue now has a capacity of 84,000 and boasts a retractable playing surface allowing the normal football pitch to be replaced with a surface suitable for American football.
The Bernabeu “has become a model for cutting-edge architecture and engineering and it is ready for any challenge”, Perez said.
Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida told the event “you will not find a city with as much passion, brimming with as much energy as Madrid has right now, nor with as much love for sport”.
“The exciting first-ever game in Spain underlines the NFL’s continued commitment to expanding its global footprint and reaching new audiences across the world,” Brett Gosper, head of Europe and Asia-Pacific at the NFL, said in a statement.
There is a “hunger” for the sport in Europe and “this is only the beginning for us in this incredible region”, Dolphins chief executive Tom Garfinkel added in the statement.
The NFL has continued to grow its following outside the United States since organising its first European game in London in 2007.
The New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars are set to play in three London matches this year, while Berlin’s Olympic Stadium will also host an NFL regular-season game in 2025.
Brazil welcomed its first NFL game last year when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 34-29 in Sao Paulo. Mexico has also featured in the league’s international slate.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have also been reportedly lined up to play in Ireland this year.
Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins team failed to reach the playoffs last season, finishing second in the AFC East division with an 8-9 record.
Madrid is an incredible city for sports. Good value hotels, very affordable bars, brilliant public transport and a city centre stadium. great choice.
Getting a bit ridiculous how many international games there are. Takes the novelty out of it, should limit it to 2 or 3 a year and move them around
@Sambo: should be none.
Total disregard for home fans and season ticket holders etc.
Money has ruined sport
@Sambo: And the crazy thong is they constantly send the useless teams overseas. It doesn’t give the fans a view of good football
@liam hehir: That’s why they added a 17th game to the season a few years back. Heading towards 16 international games a year eventually I’d imagine.
No better heads than the Americans to grow a sport and make money out of it.
@liam hehir: yeah , so you should stay in Miami , if you’re against it. I mean you’ve been there all your life right ?