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Washington Commanders Make Announcement on 2026 Madrid Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 11:56 AM ET

The Washington Commanders are officially headed back to Madrid, as team president Mark Clouse confirmed the Commanders will be the designated home team in next year's game in Spain.

Washington and Miami became the first teams to play a regular-season game in Spain earlier this month, with the Dolphins pulling out a 16-13 overtime victory. Next year will be the first time the Commanders have played international games in consecutive seasons.

"For the franchise, it allows us to tap into a new audience and to begin to expand on a much more global level," Clouse told The Athletic. "That means everything, from merchandise to social media to how we’re able to attract sponsors that may have a more global footprint.

"So, I see it both as a great fan opportunity, but I also see it as a really good business opportunity for the franchise as well," Clouse added.

Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins fans arrive before the 2025 NFL Madrid Game at Santiago BernabeuAna Beltran/Reuters via Imagn Images

The Commanders are winless in two international games. Washington and Cincinnati played to a 27-27 tie on Oct. 30, 2016.

What to Know About the 2026 NFL International Series Games

The NFL is currently scheduled to play international games, including the first regular-season games in Australia. Earlier this year, the NFL confirmed that the Los Angeles Rams will serve as the designated home team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Barring any unforeseen changes, the NFL is also expected to play games in Brazil, Mexico, Germany, and the United Kingdom next season. With the exception of the 2020 COVID season, London has hosted games every year since 2007. Those games typically take place at Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Mexico City will host an NFL game for the first time since Nov. 21, 2022, when the San Francisco 49ers routed the Arizona Cardinals 38-10 at Estadio Azteca. The NFL has not announced where the game in Germany will take place, though the league confirmed it won't be in Berlin. Munich (2022 and 2024) and Frankfurt (2023) previously hosted regular-season games.

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“The games in Munich as well as in Frankfurt made a lot of cities raise their hand saying, ‘Let’s talk,'" Alexander Steinforth, the general manager of NFL Germany, recently told the Associated Press. "That’s when Berlin got really active."

After playing games in São Paulo for the past two years, the NFL will move its games in Brazil to Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. It remains unclear whether the NFL will hold games in Dublin next season; the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 24-21, at Croke Park on Sept. 28.

The NFL will announce its complete 2026 schedule next spring. As of November 21, the Commanders and Rams are the only teams that have been confirmed to play international games next season. Additionally, the Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to play two games in London next year while their stadium undergoes renovations; the Jaguars have played in London every year since 2013, excluding the 2020 COVID season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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