17th October 2025
October 17 – Atlético de Madrid has announced that its home ground, the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, will serve as the official training base for the National Football League’s Miami Dolphins, from November 12–15, ahead of the 2025 NFL International Game in Madrid.
The Dolphins will face the Washington Commanders at the Santiago Bernabéu, home of cross-town rivals Real Madrid. By opening up their stadium, Atlético is ensuring that they don’t get left in the shadows and that they’ll have a key role to play in the first-ever NFL spectacle in Spain.
It also ensures that the Metropolitano and its new naming-rights partner, Riyadh Air, won’t be left off the news agenda during one of the city’s most high-profile sporting weeks in years.
The Dolphins will find that the Metropolitano will be transformed from Futbol to NFL standards, complete with new field markings, goalposts, and expanded locker and gym facilities. The NFL is expected to pay the club several million dollars for the week-long use of the Metropolitano
It is clear that the NFL has designs on growth across the continent, as iconic clubs and stadiums from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich have welcomed ‘throwball’ with open arms. The reverse, however, remains a slower process. While U.S. venues host friendly soccer matches, the leap required to integrate competitive European football fully into American sporting calendars is meeting resistance.
In Madrid, both sides win. Real Madrid hosts the game. Atlético provides the stage for preparation. And together, they position the Spanish capital as Europe’s latest proving ground for the NFL’s global ambitions.
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