NFL-Falcons to play 2026 regular season game at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu

By Fernando Kallas

MADRID, March 3 (Reuters) – The Atlanta Falcons will host an NFL regular season game at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in 2026, the league said, with the opponent and date yet to be confirmed.

The Madrid fixture will form part of a record nine international games staged by the NFL in 2026 across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums. The game will be played at the Bernabeu under a multi-year agreement with Madrid City Council and the Community of Madrid, following the first game held in the country last year between the Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins.

“We are incredibly proud to be part of an NFL regular season game in Madrid at the iconic Bernabeu,” said Falcons President and CEO Greg Beadles.

“Atlanta and Madrid are a natural fit, as we will host two group stage matches for the Spanish national football team at the upcoming FIFA World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”

To date, 62 NFL regular season games have been played outside the U.S., with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto serving as host cities.

The Falcons’ opponents, along with the date and kickoff time, will be announced when the full 2026 schedule is released next month, the NFL said.

Other confirmed 2026 international fixtures include Los Angeles Rams v San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, with the 49ers also set to play in Mexico City;  New Orleans Saints in Paris; Detroit Lions in Munich and Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to feature in two of the three London games, with the Washington Commanders hosting the other one.

(Reporting by Fernando Kallas, editing by Ed Osmond)