NFL Comes to Madrid: Controversy Surrounds La Liga’s Global Aspirations

On November 16, the iconic Bernabeu Stadium hosted an NFL game featuring the Miami Dolphins against the Washington Commanders, drawing a crowd of over 80,000 spectators. Preparations for the event included more than $2 million in temporary renovations to modify the stadium for American football. This historic occasion, however, was marked by a notable absence of the traditional white attire associated with Real Madrid fans.

Despite the event’s significance, La Liga President Javier Tebas vocally criticized Real Madrid’s involvement, pointing out the club’s previous objections to hosting La Liga matches abroad. Earlier in the season, La Liga had proposed a match between Villarreal and Barcelona at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on December 20, 2023, which would have been the first La Liga fixture held in the United States. Real Madrid filed multiple complaints with Spain’s Sports Ministry, arguing that relocating a domestic match mid-season would undermine competitive fairness. Players such as Thibaut Courtois and Frenkie de Jong echoed these concerns, raising issues of player welfare.

The controversy escalated into a broader backlash within La Liga, culminating in a coordinated 15-second silent protest during match kick-offs across the league in October, organized by the Spanish players’ union (AFE). Ultimately, the Miami match was canceled later that month, following the organizer’s withdrawal due to ‘uncertainty in Spain.’ This marked the second instance of a La Liga fixture being blocked from taking place abroad, following a similar attempt that failed in 2018.

The cancellation left both Barcelona and Villarreal infuriated, while Tebas lamented the lost opportunity for Spanish football and criticized the powerful entities within the sport that opposed progressive developments. He stated, “Today, Spanish football has lost an opportunity to advance, project itself globally, and strengthen its future.”

In a follow-up statement, Tebas took to social media to condemn Real Madrid, labeling their actions as hypocritical. He remarked, “We’ve been hearing for weeks that today is a historic day for Spanish sport because the NFL is playing in Madrid. Fantastic promotion for the NFL in Spain… and the most striking thing: the stadium belongs to the same club that led the crusade of ‘integrity’ against La Liga’s official match in Miami.”

Tebas argued that the opposition to the Miami match was not genuinely about tradition or competitive integrity but stemmed from Real Madrid’s quest for control and influence within the league. He noted, “The Miami match had guaranteed full capacity… and it served to internationalize our competition. We were talking about 1 match out of the 380 that La Liga plays throughout the season.”

Moving forward, Barcelona is now pursuing a profitable friendly match in Peru scheduled for late December, following the cancellation of the Miami fixture. Reports suggest that this match could generate around €7-8 million in revenue. The club previously declined an invitation to play in Libya, which would have provided approximately €5 million, citing safety concerns. With the Miami opportunity lost, the Peru match presents the best chance for Barcelona to recoup lost earnings and conclude the year on a financially positive note.