What to know about the first NFL Spain game: Commanders, Dolphins meet in Madrid – The Athletic
Alarms on, passports out, patatas bravas at the ready. The NFL’s 2025 world tour wraps up Sunday, with the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders closing out the international game slate from Madrid. It’s the league’s first regular-season action in Spain. Here’s what viewers need to know:
How to watch Commanders vs. Dolphins (in Spain)
- Venue: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium — Madrid
- Time: 9:30 a.m. ET, Sunday
- TV (national): NFL Network
- Commanders, in market: CBS channel 9 (WUSA)
- Dolphins, in market: CBS channel 4 (WFOR)
- Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)
- Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.
NFL Network also streams on NFL+.
The Commanders (3-7)
This has been a most extreme sophomore slump for head coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels — the kind of fall that starts with a wobbly missed step and ends in sprawled humiliation. Last year’s Commanders mounted a surprise run to the NFC Championship Game, thanks to efficient offense and an overachieving defense. But through 10 weeks so far this season, Washington ranks 22nd in points per game and 29th in scoring defense. It kicks off Sunday amid a five-game losing streak and with Quinn taking on the role of defensive coordinator.
A lot of that can be attributed to bad breaks. Defensive end and sack leader Dorance Armstrong went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 7. Veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore (ACL) was shelved for the year in Week 9. Fellow CB Trey Amos is also done for the year after fracturing his fibula in Week 10 against the Detroit Lions. Defensive tackle Daron Payne is suspended this week after throwing a punch in that same game.
On offense, all-purpose running back Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles tendon in Week 2. Top wideout Terry McLaurin (quad) has been limited to just four games. Then there’s Daniels, the franchise cornerstone and spiritual course-corrector who dislocated his elbow late in a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Quinn took a lot of heat for keeping Daniels on the field during a meaningless drive, though Daniels avoided ligament damage and won’t require surgery.
With QB1 on ice, Washington turns to backup Marcus Mariota, who is 1-3 in four starts this year. His net yards per dropback average is actually higher than Daniels’ for 2025 (6.68 vs. 5.98), but his interception rate is also much worse (3.6 vs. 1.2 percent). Mariota has bruising gadget threat Deebo Samuel to throw to, and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt starts the week averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
Commanders’ all-time record in international games: 0-0-1 (in London)
The Dolphins (3-7)
Miami’s season has also been a messy and regrettable flop. But unlike the Commanders, these Dolphins hit their Eurotrip with some semblance of momentum. Against all odds and reason, Mike McDaniel’s team throttled the formidable Buffalo Bills in Week 10 — they had lost 13 of the prior 14 regular-season meetings with their AFC East rivals. The connection between QB Tua Tagovailoa and WR Jaylen Waddle looked refurbished in that win:
What a throwwww, what a catch 😮💨🤩 pic.twitter.com/xztbt2bTlq
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 9, 2025
But the biggest star from last Sunday was lead back De’Von Achane, who put up 225 total yards on 28 touches and ran for a pair of touchdowns. Per TruMedia, Achane has accounted for 36 percent of the Dolphins’ scrimmage yards this season, the third-highest rate in the league. He’s also third in rushing yards after contact, belying his 5-foot-9 frame.
Still, Miami is 3-7 for good reason. It begins the week at No. 25 in points per game and No. 24 in points allowed. Tagovailoa has thrown more picks than anyone in the NFL, a big step back after leading all passers in completion percentage last season. The secondary has been porous, as well — opposing QBs have a 112.2 passer rating against the Dolphins, with an 8-to-1 TD-INT mark in first halves and a 9-to-1 mark in second halves.
Dolphins’ all-time record in international games: 2-5 (5 in London, 1 in Frankfurt, 1 in Toronto)
The broadcast situation
All of the NFL’s European games are shown live on NFL Network for U.S. audiences. There’s an over-the-air simulcast in the teams’ respective regions, which means this matchup has local listings for the Miami and D.C. areas. Kenny Albert is on Sunday’s play-by-play call, with Jonathan Vilma on color commentary and Jamie Erdahl as sideline reporter.
Gridiron football’s history in Spain
Spain had an original member of NFL Europe, the league’s now-defunct international affiliate and developmental program that began as the World League of American Football in 1991. The Barcelona Dragons played at Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic; they won World Bowl V in 1997. The Dragons were revived in 2021 as part of the new European League of Football (ELF), but they were shut down a second time in 2024. Spain’s current ELF squad is the Madrid Bravos. Quinn rocked their jersey at one of this week’s press conferences.
The nation also has its own American football federation, which governs the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA). That domestic league has been dominated by the Las Rozas Black Demons, three-time defending champions.
The most recent Spanish-born player to make the NFL was JJ Arcega-Whiteside. He hails from Zaragoza, and made 40 appearances for the Philadelphia Eagles between 2019 and 2021.
What are the teams doing over there?
The Dolphins have made a tailored effort to reach fans in Spain, as almost two-thirds of Miami-Dade County residents speak Spanish, according to the 2024 census. La Plaza de Espana hosted Dolphins supporter rallies this weekend. Similar events went down for Commanders fans around Bernabéu Stadium.
Of course, the football-fútbol crossover was inevitable. Waddle and Achane swapped jerseys with Atlético Madrid’s Marc Pubill. Receiver Malik Washington met up with Fernando Torres, current manager of Atlético Madrid B and a decorated former striker. T.D., the Dolphins’ mascot (it literally stands for “The Dolphin”), made the rounds with La Liga’s costumed counterparts. The rest of the crew is learning how to say “chop” in Spanish, as linebacker Chop Robinson is all over Madrid’s street promotions.
Aside from Quinn repping the Bravos, Washington partnered up with Real Madrid, the iconic club that resides at the Bernabéu. And Major Tuddy, the Commanders’ pig-in-a-helmet mascot, is somewhere sipping his café con leche.
Who is expected to win on Sunday?
Miami strolls in as narrow favorites, given its recent signs of life versus Buffalo and Washington’s litany of injuries. But overseas games get wonky, especially when the participants are as volatile as these two.
2025 NFL International Games
Week 1 (Friday, Sept. 5): Los Angeles Chargers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 21
Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil
Week 4 (Sunday, Sept. 28): Pittsburgh Steelers 24, Minnesota Vikings 21
Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland
Week 5 (Sunday, Oct. 5): Minnesota Vikings 21, Cleveland Browns 17
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England
Week 6 (Sunday, Oct. 12): Denver Broncos 13, New York Jets 11
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England
Week 7 (Sunday, Oct. 19): Los Angeles Rams 35, Jacksonville Jaguars 7
Wembley Stadium in London, England
Week 10 (Sunday, Nov. 9): Indianapolis Colts 31, Atlanta Falcons 25 (OT)
Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany
Week 11 (Sunday, Nov. 16): Washington Commanders vs. Miami Dolphins
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain
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