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NFL Kicks Off First Regular-Season Game in Spain at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu

A costly, retractable-pitch conversion turns the Bernabéu into a gridiron to gauge the league’s Spanish-market potential.

Overview

  • The Dolphins face the Commanders in Madrid at 9:30 a.m. ET with national coverage on NFL Network and local broadcasts in Miami and Washington.
  • To fit NFL dimensions, entire rows of seats were removed at both ends, the field was extended to 120 yards, and locker rooms and media areas were temporarily expanded.
  • The stadium’s modular, retractable natural turf—stored in an underground Hypogeum—enabled the swap to a new surface, with the roof set to be closed for the game.
  • Fast Company reports the NFL spent about $2.32 million on temporary conversions as Madrid’s regional government put roughly $3.5 million into promotion, with officials projecting tens of millions in local revenue.
  • An anticipated 83,000-plus crowd will see two 3–7 teams competing without Jayden Daniels and Tyreek Hill, as Marcus Mariota starts for Washington and Miami arrives off a win over Buffalo.