'Real Madrid legend Burtragueno told me what hosting an NFL game means to Spain'
Ahead of the Super Bowl in Las Vegas it was announced that an NFL game would be held at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain, as the league continues to expand globally.
London has hosted NFL games since 2007, although there are now three each year when the English capital originally had just one annual game at Wembley Stadium. Since then, the NFL has hosted games in Germany, Mexico, and starting from the 2025 season Spain will be added to the international calendar.
Brazil will also host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 of the 2024 regular season, as the NFC East side head to Sao Paulo. The NFL had a special guest in Las Vegas for the reveal of Madrid 2025, as Real Madrid legend Emilio Burtragueno was unveiled to the media in celebration of the new partnership.
Just like Tottenham Hotspur's stadium, Madrid will take on hosting responsibilities at the Bernabeu and Burtragueno believes it's a huge milestone for their brand. "It's a great day for Real Madrid. We are really very excited about this opportunity and what the future has in store for us," Burtragueno told Mirror Football.
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"The NFL is a great brand and we are entirely convinced it's going to be a very successful partnership. So we are really very proud of this deal and what we going to do together in the future.
"We are really very happy. Our president is really very excited about this opportunity and of course when they are going to come to Madrid, we'll do our best to make it an incredible experience and to make this deal something great for both organisations."
With Madrid being one of the biggest clubs in world football, the fact they're hosting an NFL game is huge. With a 47 million population, and 3.5 million of those residing in the Spanish capital, the NFL will focus even more eyes on their game from across the pond.
The Santiago Bernabeu is one of the most iconic stadiums in the world"Playing a game in Madrid in 2025 highlights the continued expansion of the league's global footprint and the accelerated ambitions to take our game to more fans around the world," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "We are proud to partner with Real Madrid C.F., a global brand, together with the City of Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid, to bring a spectacular regular season game to Spain at the world-class Santiago Bernabeu Stadium."
It was a decision that made perfect sense for the NFL, after owners passed a vote to expand the game globally every year. With Spain being a nation filled with passionate sports fans, it was a priority for the league to host their game not only on their shores, but in one of the most iconic football stadiums available.
"In December, NFL owners voted to expand the number of NFL games played internationally every year, moving from four league-operated games to now up to eight regular-season games starting in 2025," Peter O'Reilly, NFL executive VP of club business, international and league events said.
"And what that does is allow us to explore new markets, new partners, new passionate fan bases around the world who love the NFL and haven't had the chance to experience the NFL live and in-person. We could not be more excited to bring the best of the NFL, the best of our teams, our star players to our more than 13 million passionate fans in Spain and to partner with one of the greatest global football clubs in Real Madrid and a truly world-class and innovative stadium."
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