The NFL will officially be in the offseason following Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8. The big game will pit the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and after the final play, the offseason will begin.
It’s never too early to think about the upcoming NFL season, especially for football viewers who hope that their teams do better in the future. It’s bittersweet to watch the Super Bowl if your team didn’t make it, because even though it’s a fun football event, not seeing your players on the field just doesn’t hit the same.
Now, the National Football League has made an announcement about the 2026-27 season, and it will help take the American football brand to the world.
NFL Makes 2026-27 Announcement
On Monday, February 2, the NFL announced that the league will return to Madrid, Spain, to play regular-season games at the famed Bernabéu Stadium. The move is in conjunction with a multiyear partnership with the City of Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid, starting in the 2026-27 NFL regular season.
In a statement, NFL Spain country canager Rafa De Los Santos said, “The 2025 NFL Madrid game at the Bernabéu was a pivotal moment for the sport in Spain, and we are delighted to confirm that we will return to play a regular season game in 2026 in a multi-year partnership with the City of Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid and Real Madrid C.F.”
Rafa De Los Santos added, “This multi-year commitment to playing games in Madrid, a world-class global cultural and sporting destination, underlines our commitment to the market and enables us to continue to engage fans year-round and invest long-term in initiatives like NFL Flag and youth participation nationwide.”
Spain, according to research from the NFL, is a key market for the NFL with 11 million fans.
“It is an honor and a privilege for Real Madrid to host the NFL once again at the Bernabéu stadium,” Real Madrid director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueño said.
He added that they “experienced a historic first NFL Madrid game a few months ago, and this new agreement will allow the alliance between our club, the Community of Madrid, the City Council and the NFL to continue, strengthening the image of our capital and the Spanish brand around the world.”
Full Tally of NFL 2026-27 International Games So Far
With the news, so far, for the 2026-27 season, the NFL has confirmed seven international games for 2026. But, according to Peter O’Reilly of the NLF, the league is likely to play at least eight international games in the 2026 NFL season.
The confirmed games include one game in Melbourne, Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the Los Angeles Rams; one game in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil at the Maracanã Stadium; one game in Munich, Germany at FC Bayern Munich Arena; three games in London, U.K.; and one game in Madrid, Spain at the Bernabéu Stadium.
So, the NFL is expanding and taking American football around the world. It’s great to see people in other countries start to enjoy the sport that Americans have watched for decades. Welcome to the club, everyone.
NFL Announces Schedule Change for 2026 Season