With road games against the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs on the Jets’ 2026 NFL schedule, there is a chance the Green & White could play the sixth international game in club history in Madrid.
The Bears and the Chiefs, who each have marketing rights to the Spanish city as part of the league’s international program, could host a game at the Santiago Bernabeú Stadium, home of the global soccer giant Real Madrid C.F. (The Miami Dolphins also have marketing rights in Madrid, but played a game there last season.) The league recently signed a multiyear deal to play a game in that country’s capital city.
“It is an honor and a privilege for Real Madrid to host the NFL once again at the Bernabéu stadium,” said Real Madrid director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueño, a former Real Madrid player. “The transformation of the Bernabéu stadium is a major boost for sport to continue to be a unifying force for millions of fans across all continents.”
Last season, the Jets, who own the league’s marketing rights in Britain, played their fifth regular-season game outside the U.S., facing the Denver Broncos at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, a 13-11 loss. Coincidentally, the Jets and the Broncos will play again in 2026, for the seventh straight season (and the ninth time in the last 10 years). In the regular season, the Jets have won twice on the international stage, 19-13, over the Bills in Toronto in 2009 before a 27-14 win against Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London in 2015.
The league also announced that it will play the first regular-season game in France next season with the New Orleans Saints as the host. The NFL will also return to Mexico City for the first time since 2022
“It’s the ambition we have to be a global sport,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told The Associated Press. “But it’s also the demand we’re having. We’re hearing from cities that want to host these games and really want to get more American football.”
In addition, the Los Angeles Rams will host a game in Melbourne, Australia; with additional games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Munich, Germany; and three in London. In all there will be nine international games next season, though Goodell said his intention is to soon have 16 international games, with each NFL team playing in one game.