A little over a year ago, Relevo announced that The NFL had given the ‘OK’ for a game of the famous American football league to be played in Spain for the first time, more specifically at the Santiago Bernabéu. Practically a month later, in January 2024, this same medium confirmed that one of the teams would be the Miami Dolphins, who would also act as home team. And since then, little or nothing has been known about it.
After a pause of many months between seasons, the current one started in mid-September and today 14 games have already been played in 15 weekends (each franchise has a day of rest). Although the match at the Real Madrid stadium still seems far away, the truth is that some details are already known about it of the same and the big question that many fans ask is already beginning to have a somewhat clearer answer. Who will face the Miami Dolphins?
That is not yet known and it is possible that at best it will not be revealed until the days before the next Super Bowl in early February, and it could even be later. But Right now there are only nine teams left in the race to accompany the Dolphins at the Bernabéu. Among the most notable are the New England Patriots, an iconic team led by Tom Brady for two decades, the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens, two candidates to win the ring this year.
How is it possible that of the 32 teams that make up the NFL there are only nine candidates to be in Madrid? The answer is easy for those who follow the American league, and a little more complex for those who are not too aware: the calendar is not random as happens in the main European leagues. A series of conditions come into play in the NFL that limit the possibilities.
The league is divided into two conferences of 16 teams and, in turn, each of them is divided into four divisions with four teams. Each season, each of the teams plays 17 games (nine at home and eight away or vice versa) and there are certain limitations. First, six of them must be against the three divisional rivals. In addition, four are against franchises from the same conference and four against those of the opposite, always following a rotational system.
Well, those 14 games are already known, including which ones will be at home or away. The Dolphins will host the Buffalo Bills (top favorites right now to play in the next Super Bowl), New England Patriots, NY Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their stadium and at the Santiago Bernabéu. The other two possible rivals at home will come from a principle of equality that governs the NFL to complete the schedule. Right now, those places would be for Los Angeles Chargers y Washington Commandersalthough it is something that must be confirmed when the current regular season ends.
The other big question that NFL fans in Spain ask is in the date on which the match can be played. At the moment there is none, but informed people slip that the Santiago Bernabéu match It could fit into one of the international breaks in the months of October or November, aiming more for the second. Of course, both LaLiga and Real Madrid will make every effort so that during the week that is finally designated, the franchises and the NFL itself have the stadium at their disposal.
The competition itself announced that In 2025 there will be up to eight games outside the United States (there were five this year), increasingly promoting its expansion and leading to a match being played practically every week away from the North American country in the future. In addition to the one that will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu, the NFL will reach Mexico, Brazil, England, Germany and perhaps Ireland.
