Santiago Bernabeu to host another NFL game in 2026 after last year’s historic success | OneFootball

Renovating the Santiago Bernabeu helped transform the stadium into a state-of-the-art facility for the Real Madrid first-team and also placed the venue as one of the finest stadiums in world football.

A concurrent agenda behind the renovation, however, was to transform the stadium into a world-class venue for other sporting events, concerts, and programmes – something the administration began to openly advocate in 2025.

One of the biggest such events conducted at the Bernabeu was bringing the NFL to the venue to host what was the elite event’s first-ever game in Spain. The game was played in November and was between the Washington Commanders and the Miami Dolphins.

A repeat in 2026

The NFL game at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2025 was a hit. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

While the NFL game at the Bernabeu was a grand success, it attracted much criticism from local neighbours who cited noise pollution at the venue. They continue to protest against the venue being used for non-football purposes and the issue is currently in court.

Now, as relayed by The Athletic, however, Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu is set to host another NFL game in 2026 with scope for even more in the near future. The experiment last year was a success and is attracting positive interest.

The official decision and announcement is expected in the coming days, and Real Madrid are pushing for the United States-based competition to return to Spain once more this year.

While there is indeed resistance from the locals and neighbours, the club’s decision will not be influenced by the matter. The administration are working to reach an agreement and confirmation regardless of local support.

The historic NFL game played in Madrid in November attracted an attendance of over 78,000 fans in the stands and earned serious praise from the NFL administration who were astounded by the stadium and its construction.

This year, the idea will be to take it a notch further and improve the attendance and arrangements beyond last season’s historic game.