Inma Sanz, the vice-mayor of Madrid, along with the city’s sports councillor, Sonia Cea, welcomed a delegation from the National Football League (NFL) in the Cecilio Rodríguez gardens. This event precedes the NFL game scheduled for Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, featuring the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals.
“As the mayor says, Madrid is an NFL city,” Sanz remarked, emphasising that those who know and love the city are not surprised, as Madrid is deeply committed to sports. She stated, “The NFL could not miss out on a city that is one of the great sports capitals of the world. It is a vibrant, welcoming city that embraces sports because it loves healthy competition, excellence, and growth.”
During the event, Sanz recalled the unforgettable night nearly a year ago when Madrid hosted its first regular-season NFL game. The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium was filled with nearly 80,000 fans who enjoyed the match between the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders, which was watched by millions in 150 countries and territories. It was the most viewed game of all those played in Europe last season.
“These figures encouraged us to reach an agreement among the City Council, the Community of Madrid, the NFL, and Real Madrid to host more games,” Sanz noted, adding that “this is very Madrid: if we try something and like it, we turn it into a tradition.” This Sunday, the Bengals and Falcons will write the second chapter of this story, and the vice-mayor wished them “enjoyment and may the best team win.”
