What to know about Bernabéu Stadium before Bengals-Falcons game in Spain

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Photos: Bengals spring practice, 5/12

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Josh Kattus (48) catches a pass during a practice session at the Kettering Health Practice Fields in Cincinnati on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Bust out the passports and find a flight. The Bengals are heading to Madrid Spain.

Announced on May 12, the Cincinnati Bengals will play the Atlanta Falcons at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Nov. 8.

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Here are five things to know about the historic venue that will host the Bengals in 2026.

Bengals-Falcons will be Bernabéu Stadium’s second NFL game

The Bengals and the Falcons won’t be the first (American) football game at the stadium.

In November last season, Bernabéu Stadium was host to the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders in Spain’s first NFL contest.

Tua Tagovailoa and Marcus Mariota battled in front of over 78,000 fans as the Dolphins won 16-13 in overtime. Mariota threw an interception on the first play of overtime, giving Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson a 29-yard field goal to win the game.

The Bengals will play at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in November in the NFL's second Madrid game. The Dolphins and Commanders played in 2025.

The Bengals will play at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in November in the NFL’s second Madrid game. The Dolphins and Commanders played in 2025.

It is named after a former Real Madrid player and president

As the home stadium for Real Madrid, the stadium is named for the man that had it built.

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Bernabéu played for the club from 1911 to 1920 and again from 1921 to 1926. After fighting in the Spanish Civil War, he helped rebuild the club and with it a new stadium.

Bernabéu Stadium was completed in 1947 while Bernabéu was in charge of the club where he remained until his death in 1978.

Bernabéu Stadium hosted the 1982 World Cup final

Spain, along with Portugual and Morocco, will host the majority of the World Cup games in 2030, giving Spain its second home cup and the first since 1982.

Bernabéu Stadium hosted several games in the 1982 World Cup, most importantly the final between Italy and West Germany. The Italians scored the first three goals and won the match 3-1, giving Italy its third Word Cup win.

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Pope Leo will visit the stadium next month

Pope Leo will visit Spain from June 6 to June 12, making stops in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands according to the Holy See Press Office.

On June 8, Pope Leo will meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Spanish Parliament before meeting with members of the local diocese at Bernabéu Stadium.

Bernabéu Stadium set its attendance record in 1956

Bernabéu Stadium hosted Real Madrid and Milan in the first leg of the semifinals of the 1956 European Cup in front of a record crown of 129,690.

Real Madrid won 4-2 and then advanced to the finals 5-4 on aggregate over Milan. Real Madrid won the cup final 4-3 over Reims of France in front of over 38,000 people in Paris.

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The stadium has had a number of renovations since opening that has grown and then reduced its capacity.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Facts about Bernabéu Stadium Madrid before Bengals-Falcons Spain game

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