The Miami Dolphins will play in the NFL's first-ever regular-season game in Spain when Madrid hosts a matchup next season at iconic Bernabéu Stadium, the league announced Friday.
The Dolphins will be the designated ''home'' team at Real Madrid 's venue, which features a soccer pitch that retracts to make way for a field that can be used for American football. It has a capacity of about 80,000.
"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 fanbase,'' said Tom Garfinkel, the Dolphins' vice chairman, president and CEO.
The date of the game and Miami's opponent will be announced this spring.
The Dolphins and the Chicago Bears hold marketing rights in Spain as part of the league's Global Markets Program, which allows teams to hold events and sign commercial deals in those locations.
''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,'' said Brett Gosper, the league's head of Europe and APAC.
Miami missed the playoffs after going 8-9 this season in the AFC East.
The Dolphins are 2-5 in games played outside the United States and have lost their past four international games, mostly recently in Frankfurt, Germany in 2023 when they lost 21-14 to the Kansas City Chiefs. Miami has played five times in London and once in Toronto.
