Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu hosted the first NFL game ever played in Spain on Sunday—and the Miami Dolphins paid homage to Los Blancos by using one of the club’s most iconic quotes in the aftermath of their win over the Washington Commanders.
The Dolphins defeated the Commanders 16–13 to win their second game on the bounce. Following the game, Miami’s official Spanish account on X celebrated the victory with a hilarious, perfectly-timed post.
60 minuti en el Bernabéu son molto longo. pic.twitter.com/eUZGIaZAJx
— Dolphins en Español (@LosDolphins) November 17, 2025
Real Madrid fans will be very familiar with the phrase “90 minuti en el Bernabéu son molto longo,“ which translates to “90 minutes at the Bernabéu are very long.“ An iconic quote that serves as a rallying cry for the 15-time European champions, one that resurfaces every time they must pull off an improbable comeback at their fortress, which they often achieve.
Former Real Madrid player Juanito is the mastermind behind the quote. His words proved prophetic as Los Blancos erased a two-goal disadvantage at the Bernabéu to defeat Inter Milan 3–2 on aggregate in the 1985 UEFA Cup semifinals. Real Madrid’s 2025–26 third kit has the quote itched inside the collar as a tribute to the former great.
The Dolphins made a minor tweak to the quote, switching 90 for 60 minutes, the length of an NFL game. Nevertheless, it took Miami a little longer than that to win the contest, requiring a little under three extra minutes of overtime to clinch the historic victory.
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🏈 Miami Dolphins-Washington Commanders: the Bernabéu hosts a historic match! pic.twitter.com/M3NqRp3DuJ
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 16, 2025
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was thoroughly impressed by Real Madrid’s recently renovated Bernabéu.
“We’ve played in, perhaps, the best stadium in the world, the Bernabéu,” he said, via MARCA. “It’s certain that the NFL will be back here.”
“It‘s been spectacular,” Goodell also told the NFL Network (via NFL). “This is such a great city. The stadium is remarkable and the partners at Real Madrid and the city have just been amazing.”
Legendary players, both past and present, were in attendance at the Bernabéu for the NFL game, including Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, Iker Casillas and Zinedine Zidane, as well as Antonio Rüdiger and Marco Asencio.
Even star players of crosstown rivals Atlético Madrid couldn’t miss the chance of taking in an NFL game in person, even if it meant going to their rivals home. Antoine Griezmann and Koke were both seen taking in the action at the Bernabéu.
Sunday was a historic day for sports in Spain, with Real Madrid’s home stadium being a worthy venue for the historic game.
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