Another day, another NFL international game announcement. Today’s news is that the Atlanta Falcons will be the host team for the NFL’s game in Madrid this fall. The game will be held at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid’s home stadium.
Last year’s game between the Dolphins and Commanders was the league’s first-ever game in Spain, and over 78,000 fans were in attendance.
The date and opponent have not been announced, and probably will not be until the full schedule is released in May. As the host, the Falcons will sacrifice a home game from the 2026 schedule. Instead of the full slate of nine regular-season games they were slated to play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, they’ll play eight instead.
The Falcons aren’t new to playing in Europe. They played in Berlin in 2025, and London in 2014, 2021, and 2023.
Who could be the Falcons’ opponent?
The Falcons’ 2026 list of home opponents includes:
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We can immediately remove the 49ers from the list, as they are already scheduled to play in both Australia and Mexico.
Of the remaining teams, only the Saints have been tabbed to play internationally this year, as they will be the host team in Paris.
Both the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs have marketing rights to the Spanish market, so they would seem like strong possibilities. But the Falcons likely wouldn’t be happy about losing either of those home matchups. Games against the Ravens, Bengals, Panthers, and Bucs would be far less costly for them at the gate.
The reality is that there are now so many international games being played that it’s hard to handicap who the opponent will be. We’ll just have to wait until May when the schedule is released.
Next Steps
Without a game date, there’s no need to make any travel plans just yet. Right now, if you’re a Falcons fan, it’s just a good time to start thinking about whether you might like a little jaunt to Spain to see your team this fall.
But while you’re considering that, make sure to sign up for ticket alerts from the NFL by clicking here.
