A few days ago, it was announced that in 2025 the NFL will visit Santiago Bernabéu. It turns out this might not be the only Spanish stadium to host the largest professional American football league in the coming years. Leaders of FC Barcelona have just entered negotiations.

NFL boldly ventures into Europe

The NFL's great goal is to bring American football to every corner of the world and attract new fans. Therefore, the league leaders are increasingly reaching beyond the borders of the United States. In addition to the aforementioned Madrid, in 2024 Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings will host games in London, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley. Additionally, the Carolina Panthers will play at the Allianz Arena in Germany.

© FC Barcelona

They don't want to fall behind

FC Barcelona does not want to lag behind until the completion of Camp Nou and is already taking action. Leaders of Catalonia's pride are negotiating with the NFL the possibility of organizing matches shortly after the completion of work at the facility, which is expected in mid-2026, assuming there are no delays.

According to information provided by RAC1, work is being done at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper offices to ensure that Camp Nou is one of the venues chosen by the NFL in 2026. All as part of the stadium's inauguration. The discussions are not yet advanced, but the club has indicated that it is on the right track to organize one of the matches in the North American competitions.

© FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona has been exploring the possibility of hosting the NFL since 2022. These are not easy negotiations and they take a lot of time, but it seems that they will be concluded soon. Real Madrid officially announced that Santiago Bernabéu will host the NFL next year, so the Catalans want to be next, unless the scenario unexpectedly changes.

Will they make it?

Reconstruction of Camp Nou began in mid-2023 and is likely to be completed in 2026. It is expected that the stadium will be finished in the first half of the year, but there are also those who are less optimistic and believe that despite meeting the deadlines for demolition and earthworks, the actual construction will proceed slowly.