World Cup Gives Atlanta Falcons, Spain a Chance to Swap Stadiums

Mercedes-Benz, the home of the Atlanta Falcons, is playing host to the Spanish National team this month.

Mercedes-Benz was host to one of the more startling results in the World Cup group stages when Rodri and Spain drew upstart Cabo Verde 0-0. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With the World Cup officially underway, the first half of the Atlanta Falcons and the Spanish National team's stadium swap is being completed. Spain has already played its first game of the group stages at Mercedes-Benz, and will play its second on Sunday evening.

The stadium swap will be completed when the Falcons play their Week 9 game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain. 

Spain has not had a fun time in Atlanta so far, suffering a draw at the hands of Cabo Verde, the third smallest nation ever to compete in the World Cup, but they will have a chance to redeem themselves when they play Saudi Arabia on June 21. 

This will be the Falcons' first time playing in Spain and just the second time the NFL has ever played a game in the country. The Dirty Birds have not fared well overseas, holding a 1-3 record, including a 31-25 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin last season. 

Despite this poor record abroad, Falcons players are still excited for the opportunity to experience a new culture and play in a historic stadium. 

"I can't wait to see like the history because I'm such a history buff,” Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said. “So, like I want to see all the history of just Madrid and all the people there, and the stadium is legendary. I want to take a little (stadium) tour, and see what it has to offer."

Robinson is not the only Falcon excited to explore another culture. Star wide receiver Drake London said he wasn’t excited to play overseas until he heard that the game was going to be in Madrid, and now he is all in. Like Robinson, London also shared an excitement to play at a historical stadium.

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium usually plays host to Real Madrid, a soccer club that plays in Spain’s La Liga. Real Madrid has won the Champions League, European soccer’s Super Bowl, a record 15 times. 

The stadium has a capacity of around 83,000 people, over 10,000 more than Mercedes-Benz holds during Falcons games. It also contains one of the most advanced turf management systems, which breaks the field into segments and stores them under the stadium in a climate-controlled environment. 

The NFL will hold its first game in Spain at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in 2025

Real Madrid’s recently renovated stadium includes a fully retractable pitch that can be stored beneath the stadium with the push of a button.

The storage space includes ventilation, air conditioning,… pic.twitter.com/PC5iWWmljX

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) February 9, 2024

Falcons rookie cornerback Aevion Terrell also said he is excited to play in Madrid, but the local Atlantan pointed to the time difference between Madrid and Atlanta. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. local time in Madrid, which is 9:30 a.m. in Atlanta. Dirty Bird fans will need to set their alarms for this matchup. 

This game will be a part of the NFL’s continued push to grow the game globally. In total, there have been 62 regular-season games played in countries outside the U.S., and there are a record nine games scheduled for the 2026 NFL season, including the Falcons' Week 9 matchup with the Bengals. 

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