Get to know the Santiago Bernabéu, home of the duel between the Commanders and Dolphins in Spain

"Exploring new markets, new partners, new fans around the world." This is how the National Football League (NFL) justified its arrival in Spain in 2025, through Executive Vice President Peter O'Reilly.

In November, Madrid and the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid's stadium, will become the latest international venue to join the list of cities that will host games of one of the most important sports leagues on the planet, which already includes London, United Kingdom, Mexico City, Mexico, Frankfurt and Munich, Germany, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Specifically, the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders will be the contenders in the capital of Spain, a country the NFL is now expanding to in order to gain a greater number of fans, as stated by Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL.

Apart from the strictly sporting aspects, it is necessary to know the details of the first NFL game in Spain. And one of them is the place where it will be played and where Spanish fans will be able to enjoy a sport that is not from their home turf.

What the Santiago Bernabéu looks like

The truth is that the Santiago Bernabéu was not the only stadium that was in the minds of the NFL leaders. There were other proposals that were studied very carefully, such as the Metropolitano, the stadium where Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid's rival, plays its home games.

NFL management liked the space around Atlético de Madrid's facilities, among other aspects, but they ultimately opted for the Santiago Bernabéu, a stadium that will have a totally renovated look for the duel between the Commanders and the Dolphins.

Real Madrid, owner of the Santiago Bernabéu, announced in 2012 that the stadium was going to be remodeled. However, what was not considered at any time was the relocation. It is located on Paseo de la Castellana, one of the most iconic locations in the Spanish capital. Different design proposals were entered into a competition until, on Jan. 31, 2014, the president of the club, Florentino Pérez, reported that there was a winner. Before the choice, the leader put only one condition to the participants, and that was that the new venue had to be "an icon and a symbol for the city of Madrid."

The remodeling experienced legal problems: in the courts it was alleged that the change in the image of the Santiago Bernabéu was "illegal." The entity also presented some financing problems. However, the difficulties that Real Madrid had to face along the way dissolved and, in 2019, the club launched the renovation of the new stadium.

From the outset, Real Madrid sought to revolutionize the look of its stadium: from the classic appearance it had, with an exterior façade consisting solely of concrete and the odd illuminated sign, to an avant-garde look, more adapted to the designs of current times, coming to resemble a spaceship with an all-steel roof. And so they have succeeded.

It already has a retractable roof, a 360-degree video scoreboard and a folding grandstand, among other new features. It will also be a multi-purpose space that will host different sports, as demonstrated by the game between the Dolphins and the Commanders, as well as concerts and other types of shows. The new Santiago Bernabéu still needs some finishing touches, but it will be fully prepared to welcome the NFL in November.